Ace of Spades Comments

[Wrestling] WWE Vengeance 2011

2011-10-24T00:15:00.000-07:00

WWE’s Vengeance just wrapped up a few hours back, figured Iwould give some of my thoughts on the event.

Before I get into the matches, I gotta say… if the WWE *NEVER*mentions twitter again, it’ll be too soon. I could not care less what WWE buzz-phrase is currently “trendingworldwide”. Instead of worrying aboutattracting followers and ridiculous made up hash-tags (like#ridiculousmadeuphashtag) concentrate on putting out a regularly-deliveringtop-quality product.

The show opened with a tag-title bout with Air-Boomdefending against… um, Zig-Swag? Decentmatch, however, I don’t think I ever need to see Dolph and Kofi in the samering again. Air-Boom got the win. I was hoping Ziggler and Swagger would takethis one; they’ve been making everyone they’ve worked with look great. I don’t see any ceiling for either of them,and I hope to see them both moving up closer to the top of the card.

The second match again featured Dolph Ziggler… this time hewas defending the United States title against Zack Ryder. I know we’re supposed to dig Ryder, I mean,he’s the guy who made himself when WWE couldn’t be bothered. I just can’t get into the guy, I think hisappeal was that he *was* being held back. Was worried for a bit that he’d beat Dolph and take the title… was verypleased when he didn’t.

The Divas Title match was quite good. Eve and Beth worked well together, and for afew seconds there I thought Eve was going to win. I’m glad Beth retained, it took her so longto win it (featuring far too many clean losses to Kelly Kelly), if she droppedit now, it would be tough to rebuild her as a credible threat.

I was shocked to see the HHH/Punk v Miz/Truth match this lowon the card. Considering how the WorldTitle match ended, it becomes a bit clearer. This was a fun match that showcased all four competitors. Would have liked to see Miz and Truth look abit stronger here (especially if this is all building to a Survivor Serieselimination match), but for whatever reason, outside of Mark Henry, the WWEseems incapable of booking strong heels. Was happy to see Kevin Nash return, that jackknife however, looked a bitrough.

Sheamus and Christian was a great match, which allowedChristian far more offense than I feared he’d get. Really fun match, both men came out of itlooking great. Sheamus hit a wicked lookingBrogue Kick on a spearing Christian to win. Again, a really fun match.

I became otherwise engaged during Cody Rhodes and RandyOrton. Had to pick a match to miss tohandle some laundry… this was the one. All I know is I heard Orton’s music twice, which was exactly what Iexpected. Adding the Intercontinentaltitle to this match would have made it more exciting. Putting a secondary title on Orton couldreally improve the belt’s prestige in a time when it really needs it.

Mark Henry is probably my favorite thing in Pro-Wrestling…and he has been since his return to SmackDown! Pitting him against the Big Show provided an awesome power-match. This was a great match, featuring anincredible spot. The ring implosion hasn’tbeen done in, what 8-9 years? This was alot of fun. I hope this leads to anothermatch in this feud.

Alberto Del Rio *barely* retained the WWE Title against JohnCena in a Last Man Standing Match. Overthe past few years, I’d begrudgingly become a John Cena fan… this match,however… Cena was booked far too strong. It took Alberto Del Rio, Ricardo Rodriguez, The Miz, R-Truth, thebackstage interview set, the Vengeance “V”, and a belt shot to keep Cena downfor a ten-count… and JUST a ten-count… if this was a “Stay Down for an 11 Count”match, it would probably still be going on. The bout featured a lot of neat spots, and I’m glad Del Rio retained…just wish he could be booked a bit stronger.

Assuming The Miz and R-Truth running in on this matchfurther builds the big Survivor Series Elimination Tag match (which willfeature the in-ring return of The Rock), the attack should have left Cenalaying until the show went off the air. Instead, he got back up and had to take a belt-shot to end the match. I’m sure Cena can cleanly lose a match, andnot lose any fans… all this does is cause the heels to look incrediblyineffectual. Alberto Del Rio, lookedlike he’d be the WWE’s next big heel going into 2011… now, he’s on his seconddirty WWE title reign, and can only get clean wins over John Morrison… who Ithink *I* even have a clean win over.

Looking at it this way, Cena on his own is damn-near a Terminator-levelbeast. It took four men and severalgimmicks to (barely) end this match. Howare we supposed to fear for John Cena and his team of 3-4 partners (includingThe Rock) against a group of guys that have been booked like geeks over thepast several weeks when Cena can just about withstand them all on his own?

Vengeance 2011 was definitely a miss-able show, not terrible…but not necessary. I’m probably comingoff sounding pretty bitter over the whole thing, and I apologize if that’s thecase… maybe I need a bit of a break from the product. It’s been a pretty grating few months of WWE programming;I may just require a small respite. Thegood news is the “three pay-per-views in a six-week span” is over. The upcoming build to Survivor Series shouldbe interesting and I’m looking forward to it.

[Comics] The End of Uncanny

2011-10-23T22:29:00.000-07:00

In recognition of this week’s FINAL ISSUE of Uncanny X-Men (#544) I wanted to take a little while to reflect on the passing of the series I’d collected since the late 80’s. When this was announced several months back, we were assured that this wouldn’t be a stunt, or sales trick. There would be a legitimate reason for the re-launch. In a post-Schism Marvel Universe, I’m left wondering exactly how *this* is worth re-numbering a nearly 50 year old title. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed Schism. Thought it was a great story, by fantastic creators. I just don’t think it required restarting the book.

I understand that re-numbering is all the rage right now in light of DC’s New 52… however, Uncanny X-Men (vol.2) #1 will be a direct continuation from Uncanny X-Men (vol.1) #544. No real justifiable reason for a restart. The status quo of the X-Men has changed several times throughout the past five decades, never necessitating a new #1. That said, I’d like to go through the (Uncanny) X-Men run, and point to some other instances wherein I feel a re-numbering would have fit better than Regenesis.

(Uncanny) X-Men #94 (1975) – All-New, All-Different. If we’re discussing places in X-Men history where a re-start would comfortably fit… this is it! Following the introduction of the “All-New” X-Men in Giant-Size #1, their adventures would continue in the main title, which for several years prior had only served as a reprint mag for the original X-Men’s 1960’s stories.

Uncanny X-Men #229 (1988) – Following the Fall of the Mutants cross-over, the X-Men were believed to be dead. In “reality” they had left to rebuild in Australia, leaving the world at large to continue believing their demise. This starts the X-Men “Outback era” which would continue for the next couple of years.

Uncanny X-Men #281 (1991) – In a time when the New Mutants became X-Force, X-Factor shuffled rosters and X-Men (vol.2) was launched, Uncanny still managed to maintain its numbering. Famous for the first real non-Claremont Uncanny issues for quite some time, these stories felt… different than anything that had come before (not necessarily for the better, but still… different).

Uncanny X-Men #322 (1995) – The Age of Apocalypse had just ended, and the already hiatus-ed X-Men titles, including Uncanny were brought back under their original numbering. A relaunch upon the title's return would have fit.

Uncanny X-Men #337 (1996) – In the wake of Marvel’s onslaught (no pun intended) of #1 issues, with Heroes Reborn and influx of new titles (Thunderbolts, Alpha Flight (v.2), Deadpool, etc.) the X-Men titles all kept their numbering.

Uncanny X-Men #381 (2000) – The “X-Men Revolution” featured the return of Chris Claremont to the X-Men after nearly a ten-year absence. In addition, this was just around the time the first X-Men movie landed in theaters (in fact issue #384 just three months later featured the new movie logo taking the place of the traditional one for several months). A movie these days often mandates a new volume of a title, to allure and ensnare the non-existent “New Reader”.

There are a few more instances I could argue, however, these are the one's that stand out most to me.

In closing, while I don’t like random re-numberings of comic books especially when we readers are told that there are REAL storyline justifications for it… with the way sales are going right now, I can see why it is done, and done so often. I’m not sure if this is a long-term measure, or if in six-month’s time, Uncanny will be re-re-numbered to #550. Or if in two years, Uncanny will be re-re-numbered in conjunction with the 50^th Anniversary of the X-Men, or if we will have to wait until Uncanny would have reached #600 for a return to traditional numbering… if at all.

The importance of numbering to me is probably quite silly I must admit. As long as the story is good, that’s all that matters, right?

I enjoy collecting high-numbered titles, makes a collector feel as though they're piecing together a puzzle. One of the things that kept me away from DC Comics in the early 1990’s was the fact that titles like Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash and Green Arrow were still only in the double-digits. Characters created several decades prior, to me, should have high numbered, long running volumes. I was wary I’d get invested in any given DC title, only to have it re-started (which, has happened time and time again since.) As a collector, I enjoy filling in gaps of my collection. Picking up various old issues of Uncanny X-Men makes me feel as though I’m actually accomplishing something. I know, silly. Right now, picking up early issues of, say, the Avengers aren’t nearly as satisfying as it could be, it feels as though I’m collecting for a dead series.

Cliff Notes version of this entry – Wahhh, wahhh, don’t renumber my comics!

***

Also, in response to the few (okay, two) emails I'd received in regards to the whereabouts of my Flashpoint thoughts, short answer, after the first month of Flashpoint, I ceased purchasing the minis. When I started writing my thoughts, I went through all of the titles. As the column progressed, it was becoming obvious to me that these minis, simply put, did not (and would not) matter. I decided to save the $100 these titles would have cost me over the next two months.

I did buy ten of the New 52 (the reboot actually resulted in my DC buying habits going down), of which, I think I'll keep on with four or five. I'll give my thoughts on those eventually, probably.

[Comics] DC Reboot Thoughts

2011-06-29T08:33:00.000-07:00

Figured I may as well join the rest of the comics blogosphere and share my thoughts on the DC Comics Reboot post-Flashpoint. Funny, I’m actually quite enjoying Flashpoint, however, I’m not altogether certain that I will be able to fully appreciate what follows.

Back in the mid-late 1990’s, I found myself in a strange place in my comics fandom… I was a new reader. To DC Comics, that is. Of course, I was fully aware of Superman and Batman their origins and what they were all about, I just had no desire to follow their monthly adventures. Coming into my late teens, and finding myself with the first “disposable” income I’d ever possessed. Being a foolish teenager, instead of putting said income aside for the future or for my higher education, I blew it on comics. DC Comics. I’d already been buying the nearly the entire Marvel line I was interested in. Grant Morrison’s JLA, No-Man’s-Land Batman, Mark Waid’s Flash were just some of the new titles I’d used in effort of dipping my toe into the DC pool.

In the years to follow, I’d bounce back and forth between being a Marvel guy and a DC guy. Up until recently, I’ve been pretty heavily biased towards DC. What with the lower prices and less snarky editorial teams, DC just seemed like a nicer universe to play in and follow.

Now… Flashpoint and the Great DC Reboot. I can’t claim to have been a comics fan during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, so it’d be silly for me to compare this to that. I wonder if in the near future if we’ll be referring to the time we’re in now as pre-Flashpoint, or if this will serve as a simple blip of a gimmick that had already been overturned.

I don’t really have any problem with DC deciding it’s in their best interests to inject a bit of youth into their established franchises. I did, at the onset, think it was rather foolish to reboot titles such as Action Comics and Detective Comics back to Issue #1. I’ve come around to it (at least the logic of it) when DC announced same-day digital availability on all titles. It only makes sense to re-start the titles at #1 with that in mind. Granted, to use such logic is to buy in to the theory that it’s the scary numbers on the established titles that are keeping new readers away. Either way, it is what it is… time to buckle down and enjoy (or not) the ride. On to the… ahem, 52 Number One’s DC will be launching come September.

Action Comics #1 (by Grant Morrison and Rags Morales)

This list is obviously alphabetical, though, I really couldn’t pick a better title to start the list with. Grant Morrison on Superman may just make this entire experiment worthwhile. Out of the entire line, THIS is the title I’m looking most forward to. The apparent affinity for the silver age that Morrison has keeps me a bit more at ease on the entire affair. Definite buy from me.

Animal Man #1 (by Jeff Lemire, Travel Foreman and Dan Green)

Enjoyed some of the old pre-Vertigo Animal Man series (the Morrison and Milligan runs especially). Not really sure I’d like to read more solo-Animal Man. It’s likely I’ll pick up Issue #1 to try it out.

All-Star Western #1 (by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti and Moritat)

Creative team notwithstanding, I’ve heard great things about Gray/Palmiotti’s Jonah Hex series, this is likely a pass from me. Not terribly interested in a Western Comic.

Aquaman #1 (by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis)

Aquaman looks to be finally coming into his own as a bona fide A-Lister with Johns and Reis at the helm. I’ve not enjoyed Aquaman since the Peter David run of almost 20 years ago. I’ll more than likely try this one out.

Batgirl #1 (starring Barbara Gordon; by Gail Simone, Ardian Syaf and

Vicente Cifuentes)

Not interested in seeing Barbara Gordon as Batgirl. Pass.

Batman #1 (by Scott Snyder & Greg Capulllo)

Really digging Snyder’s current run on Detective Comics, will probably grab this.

Batman & Robin #1 (by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason)

Tomasi and Gleason had a brief run on B&R earlier this year that was really quite good. Not sure if I’ll continue being a Bat-Completist after the relaunch… this one seems like a good jumping off point for me.

Batman: The Dark Knight #1 (David Finch and Jay Fobok)

If we see this one in the year 2011, I’d be shocked. Pass.

Batwing #1 (by Judd Winick and Ben Oliver)

Batwing is one of the new Batmen from Batman Incorporated… so, does that mean Batman Inc. is still around in the new DC Universe? Utterly confusing that they’d pick Batwing of all people for an ongoing title. I don’t see this one hitting the double digits. An experimental title to show that DC have black heroes, perhaps… it’s taking place in Africa too, so maybe Winick can pummel us with more HIV/AIDs lectures. Pass.

Batwoman #1 (by J.H. Williams III, Haden Blackman and Amy Reede)

Wasn’t interested in this one pre-reboot, definitely not interested in it now.

Birds of Prey #1 (by Duane Swierczynski and Jesus Saiz)

Not feeling a non-Simone, non-Dixon BoP. Of course it’s unfair to judge a title under such circumstances… and to be completely honest, a Simone or Dixon BoP would barely interest me at this point.

Blackhawks #1 (by Mike Costa and Ken Lashley)

This may be a fun title to try out. I know next to nothing about the title, only having read the Howard Chaykin series of prestige format stories. Will probably give this one a try.

Blue Beetle #1 (by Tony Bedard, Ig Guara and Ruy Jose)

I really rather enjoyed the previous Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle volume post Infinite Crisis. Will likely give this one a whirl.

Captain Atom #1 (by J.T. Krul & Freddie Williams II)

Just last year I came into an almost complete run of the Captain Atom series from the 1980’s. Really enjoyed what I read of it. Didn’t so much enjoy the WildStorm mini-series or Bob Harras’s abortive Breach. I feel Captain Atom is a better team-member than a solo-hero. I’ve liked him as chairman of the JLE and as part of the Generation Lost JLI. Will probably grab at least the first issue though I’m not expecting much.

Catwoman #1 (by Judd Winick and Guillem March)

Nah. Nothing against the creators, but the only solo Catwoman I’ve ever liked was the Ed Brubaker one.

Deathstroke #1 (by Kyle Higgins, Joe Bennett and Art Thibert)

Always thought Deathstroke was a bit overrated as a character. Surprisingly, I liked the first issue of his Flashpoint mini. Dependent on how the mini works out, I may try this one out.

DC Universe Presents #1 (Anthology - first arc Deadman by Paul Jenkins & Bernard Chang)

I have a really hard time paying even $2.99 for an anthology title. I’ve never bought an anthology title and felt that I’d gotten my money’s worth. Depending on reviews, I may pick this one up in trade.

Demon Knights #1 (by Paul Cornell, Diogenes Neves and Oclair Albert)

Etrigan the Demon, you say? Sorry, I was napping just then. Etrigan, for me, is just THAT character. The one where whenever he’s on panel I’m suddenly more interested in just about anything… laundry, weeding, checking the smoke detectors… you get the point. Paul Cornell is a fantastic writer, and hopefully he can do something with the character that could draw me in. The fact that this title is apparently taking place in medieval Europe doesn’t really help matters. I have a feeling this will be a title with a cult-like following… all of whom will be terribly disappointed when it gets cancelled within its first year.

Detective Comics #1 (by Tony Daniel)

So, Snyder goes from Tec to Batman, and Daniel goes from Batman to Tec. I guess that makes it feel, err, kind of new. I’ll probably grab the first issue, though Daniel’s current run on Batman really isn’t holding my attention.

Flash #1 (by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato)

Bit of a Flash completest, I may be… this one may depend on which Flash it showcases. Barry Allen was never MY Flash. I grew up knowing only Wally and hearing of the legend of Barry. I liked that. If it’s a Barry book, I’ll try it. If it’s a Wally book, I’m all over it. I won’t even hazard that it may be a Bart or Jay title.

Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE #1 (by Jeff Lemire and Alberto Ponticelli)

The current Frankenstein Flashpoint mini hasn’t captured my imagination, and his Seven Soldiers mini didn’t either. Not really looking forward to this one.

The Fury of Firestorm #1 (by Gail Simone and co-writer Ethan Van Sciver; art by Yildiray Cinar)

I’ll try this one. I tried getting into the early 80’s Firestorm recently. The stories were always solid and decent; however, on the whole it felt terribly dated. Glad to have the opportunity to read a contemporary Firestorm (having missed out on the Jolley run post Infinite Crisis).

Green Arrow #1 (by J.T. Krul & Dan Jurgens)

I can’t really mince words here. I really like the Green Arrow. Years ago I’d devoured the Grell run, and have been looking for a Green Arrow title that could recapture the magic, as it were. J.T. Krul’s already had over a dozen issues to do so… and hasn’t. Granted, he’s been stuck towing the Brightest Day line… but, still. I’ll grab the first issue.

Green Lantern #1 (by Geoff Johns, Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy)

Green Lantern Corps #1 (by Peter J. Tomas, Fernando Pasarin and Scott Hanna)

Green Lantern: The New Guardians #1 (by Tony Bedard, Tyler Kirkham and Batt)

Remember when I mentioned using the reboot as a jumping off point for some of the ancillary Bat-titles? Green Lantern has been on my chopping block for a few months now… I’d only stuck with to see it through to the War of the Green Lanterns. Post-Flashpoint, I’m cutting Lantern titles cold turkey.

Grifter #1 (by Nathan Edmondson, CAFU and BIT)

Eh? Grifter was always a character I wanted to dig. He’s got a great look… sadly, I’ve never found him anything resembling interesting. Doubt I’ll pick this one up.

Hawk & Dove #1 (by Sterling Gates and Rob Liefeld)

Pass… and No, not because of Liefeld. Liefeld art isn’t something that’s bothered me in years… it’s obviously fashionable to bash his work… he’s a man who clearly loves comics, and was able to carve out his own piece of the industry, good on him. His work hearkens back to a very interesting period in comics history, I think it’s neat that he’ll be part of this. That said, I truly have no interest in the characters.

I, Vampire #1 (by Josh Fialkov and Andrea Sorrentino)

Wait, what? I think this may be a DC attempt at testing the axiom “If you build it, they will come.” catering to the bookstore crowd. Not for me, though… no thanks.

Justice League #1 (by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee)

This appears to be the lynchpin of the entire DC Universe post-Flashpoint. Yeah, I’ll be getting it.

Justice League Dark #1 (by Peter Milligan and Mikel Janin)

Perhaps the silliest title on this list. Really like the characters (and creators) involved in this, however, I just can’t shake the feeling that John Constantine does NOT belong on any Justice League team. Just feels wrong.

Justice League International #1 (by Dan Jurgens and Aaron Lopresti)

I never thought I’d EVER say “I wish Judd Winick were writing this” but, here we are. Love the JLI, so I’ll be picking this one up.

Legion Lost #1 (by Fabian Nicieza and Pete Woods)

Legion of Super-Heroes #1 (by Paul Levitz and Francis Portela)

I’ve never been able to get into the Legion. I’m sure I’ll be passing on both of these.

Mister Terrific #1 (by Eric Wallace and Roger Robinson)

Look DC has Black Superheroes! Mister Terrific is an odd pick for an ongoing title… especially as he’s most associated with the Justice Society… and the Justice Society is nowhere to be found post-reboot. Pretty sure I wouldn’t buy a solo Reed Richards ongoing… so, I’m really sure I wouldn’t buy a Mr. Terrific one.

Nightwing #1 (by Kyle Higgins and Eddy Barrow)

Maybe. I’ve invested a lot of time, interest (and money) in the current Batman direction… The current teams on the Bat-titles were able to convince me to accept Dick as Batman. I’m not totally happy with demoting him back to Nightwing. May try the first issue, doubtful for the long haul.

Omac #1 (by Dan DiDio, Keith Giffen and Scott Koblish)

Nope. Love Giffen… but, nope.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 (by Scott Lobdell and Kenneth Rocafort)

This is an odd one… Why isn’t Winick writing this one, now? Not that I would have been interested in the book either way. Pass.

Red Lantern Corps #1 (by Peter Milligan, Ed Benes and Rob Hunter)

I’d like to give this one a shot, due to it having Milligan writing it… however, I fear that since I’m not planning on picking up any of the other Lantern titles, I’d only be getting part of a story… that, and I’d hate to be pulled back into the Lantern-verse, just as I’m ready to leave it totally.

Resurrection Man #1 (by Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning and Fernando Dagnino)

I remember liking what little I read of DnA’s Resurrection Man from over a decade ago… the first issue had like a holographic pog on it, I believe. Still, as it didn’t exactly set the world on fire then, this is a strange title to pick for a launch. Haven’t decided on this one yet.

Savage Hawkman #1 (by Tony Daniel & Philip Tan)

I thought James Robinson was supposed to be writing this one? Oh well, the only Hawkman I’ve ever been able to get into was the Geoff Johns version from JSA and the solo-title from that era… hearing the rumblings of Hawkman being given yet another new origin has me spooked… Pass.

Sgt. Rock and the Men of War #1 (by Ivan Brandon and Tom Derenick)

I can’t even think of an interesting way to say I’m not interested in this one. Pass.

Static Shock #1 (John Rozum, Scott McDaniel and Jonathan Glapion)

See, DC has black superher—oh, Static? I may actually be interested in Static. Great creative team at that. Yeah, I’ll grab this one.

Stormwatch #1 (by Paul Cornell and Miguel Sepulveda)

Never read any Stormwatch… wonder why they’d launch this, and not something like, say, WildCATs… I’ll have to do some Stormwatch reseach and see if this sounds like something for me.

Suicide Squad #1 (by Adam Glass and Marco Rudy)

It’s suddenly apparent why we have no Secret Six on this list. I’ve recently gone on a crusade to collect the entire Ostrander run on Suicide Squad, and am nearing completion. The Squad is a fun concept, and I look forward to checking it out. The cover, however, is… well, not so good.

Superboy #1 (by Scott Lodbell, R.B. Silva and Rob Lean)

Depending on how Superboy is in Teen Titans, I may check this one out from time to time. Probably not though.

Supergirl #1 (by Michael Green and Mike Johnson)

Nope. Sorry, nothing more to say on this one.

Superman #1 (WRITTEN BY George Perez; art by Jesus Marino)

Nah, I think Action will be my Superman title.

Swamp Thing #1 (by Scott Snyder and Yannick Paquette)

I’ll reserve judgment on this one, until seeing how the Brightest Day Aftermath series pans out. Swamp Thing without Moore has never even registered on my interest meter, though.

Teen Titans #1 (by Scott Lobdell, Brett Booth and Norm Rapmund)

Scott Lobdell wrote a whole load of X-Men comics during my more formative years. Seeing him on a Teen Titans book shouldn’t excite me as much as it is. Will be grabbing this one.

Voodoo #1 (by Ron Marz and Sami Basri)

Voodoo? The WildCATs member Voodoo? This was green-lit, why? Will any of us be surprised when this one goes down?

Wonder Woman #1 (by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang)

Never read Wonder Woman… the creative team here feels an odd choice. Though, I actually now find myself interested in checking this one out.

Well, there we go. Fifty Two Number 1’s for DC this September. I’m sure the sales will be incredible that month… October through the end of 2011, however, will give us the real story.

For the moment, I’m reading all the Flashpoint tie-ins, and will be opining on those shortly (this week’s comics has the last of the flashpoint #1’s). I’ll do a full run down on them either later this week, or early next… I’ll pass on which ones I’ll continue reading, and which ones I’m not going to grab the last two issues of.

I know this was a long one, thanks for reading!

[Wrestling] WWE WrestleMania XXVII

2011-03-31T21:48:00.001-07:00

I've attempted to put this little column together for most of the day... can't seem to shake off the write-rust. Gonna give it another go... haven't written anything of substance in quite some time now... nothing for fun, anyway.

Anyhoo... off we go. WrestleMania 27! We'll attack this beast from top to bottom.

WWE Championship Match

The Miz (c) vs. John Cena

Regardless or where this match falls on the card, I feel this is THE main event of the evening. Most places I've seen this program discussed, the main focus was placed on the ongoing discourse between John Cena and WrestleMania "Host" The Rock, leaving the actual MATCH somewhere in the background. I think it's been played quite well so far, however, this past week on Raw, the WWE may have crossed the proverbial rubicon in teasing us with a potential Rock/Cena match-up... that I feel they're going to have to eventually deliver.

As for the match, I must admit... I figured The Miz would have dropped the title, either at the Royal Rumble or in the Elimination Chamber... leaving him free to give Jerry Lawler (who we'll discuss later) his inaugural WrestleMania match. I've enjoyed the Miz's reign thus far, and feel his sneak attacks on Cena in recent weeks have been extremely well played... however, I don't see him leaving Mania with the strap. With a heel more than likely going over in the World Title Match (spoiler: I'm picking Del Rio), I think they'll give Cena the win.

World Heavyweight Championship Match

Edge (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio

Alberto Del Rio has sure become a big deal... pretty quick. Not too many will "get" that, I'm sure. Del Rio fulfilled his "destiny" by winning the 2011 Royal Rumble match, launching him into the WrestleMania "Main Event" (which I'm guessing will be placed firmly in the mid-card) and a shot... er, opportunity for the World Heavyweight Championship. I really can't see him losing here. Across the ring, we have Edge... who, well... I'm not really sure where I see him fitting right now. It simply seems as though there isn't a whole lot left for him to do... On Smackdown! he's either World Champion or challenging the World Champion. He's in the 2006-2008 Batista rut, which wasn't a whole lot of fun to watch. While I was hoping for the inclusion of Christian into the match, it appears that he'll probably get involved in some way... possibly costing Edge the title, either by accident or design.

No-Holds-Barred Match

The Undertaker vs. Triple H

Okay... I *know* I've seen this match before... Could've sworn these two faced off at WrestleMania before... nah, if that were the case, they'd have surely mentioned it, right?

All joking aside, I guess I kind of understand their not bringing up Hunter's WrestleMania X-7 loss to The Undertaker... many younger fans probably haven't the foggiest idea it even happened. I can understand it... but don't appreciate it. I keep feeling as though I should care about this match more... or at least, that I'm being told by the WWE that I should. This match is being portrayed as the second coming of Hogan/Andre. Though I can't argue it'll probably be a better match from a technical standpoint (may even be match of the night), there's no way this match has anywhere near the spectacle.

The Streak is the thing, of course. Winning this year, would put the Undertaker at 19-0 at WrestleMania. The recent face-to-face confrontation these two shared on Raw (along with a surprise visit from HBK) just may have served us a bit of a curveball. They were clearly setting up the classic guy who looks better on the go-home Raw loses the PPV match, with Michaels telling Triple H he wouldn't be able to win. Even with all of that, I can't see The Undertaker losing here. I think NEXT year will be the more likely end to the streak, with Taker hoping to go 20-0.

It bugs me whenever I think of how the WWE blew John Cena's WrestleMania undefeated streak in a lousy three way match at WrestleMania 24 (Cena's WM record now stands at 6-1). If next year, Cena were to challenge the Undertaker to a streak vs. streak match... now, THAT match would have a decent amount of spectacle to it.

CM Punk vs. Randy Orton

I'm a big fan of CM Punk. It bugged me that he was taken off program with Cena and put with Orton for WrestleMania. I wanted the Raw Main Event to be Cena/Punk for the WWE Title (with, as previously mentioned... the Miz vs. Lawler). I haven't really enjoyed the New Nexus storyline. Prior to losing Wade Barrett, the Nexus felt like a force of nature... now, they're just a faction. Hell, right now, they've all been punted back to FCW. Orton's always come off a bit wooden to me... kinda dug his more sociopathic persona, right now it's like he's being shown caring for his family... I just don't "get" Orton as a sympathetic character. I think Orton will take this one, in a great match.

Rey Mysterio vs. "Dashing" Cody Rhodes

This is the match I've forgotten about several times while running down the card in my head. Cody Rhodes has grown leaps and bounds as a competitor and a character, and Rey always shines in big-match scenarios... The lead up to this match was almost done in the background... very well done. The announce team making comments during the Royal Rumble that Cody couldn't compete due to the facial injury suffered at the hands (err, knees) of Mysterio... leading to the confrontation and challenge. Fun build which will lead to a fun little match. I think Mysterio will take it.

Jerry "The King" Lawler vs. Michael Cole

This match is a bit of a double edged sword for me.

On one hand, it displays the importance and prestige of a "WrestleMania Match". Jerry Lawler has mentioned in passing on commentary for the past several YEARS that he's never once had the opportunity to compete at WrestleMania. It goes a long way to show how competitors strive to and work their entire career hoping to showcase their talents at WrestleMania... and cements it as the biggest show of the year... not just for WWE... but for the entire wrestling world. It's great the Jerry Lawler, after nearly 20 years in the WWE, is finally getting his match.

On the other hand... he's facing Michael Cole. So, we've already established the prestige and honor it is to have competed at WrestleMania... and instead of giving Lawler a match against a credible talent... we get Michael Cole? Don't get me wrong, as a character... Michael Cole has been fantastic since the inception of NXT and his heelish character... a character we've all been begging to see Jerry Lawler throw a fireball at... I was just hoping, again, that we'd have Lawler vs. The Miz (with Michael Cole).

This is probably the match that has been given the most build... as Lawler and Cole are ALWAYS on-screen (at least vocally), and I must say... the build has been absolutely fantastic. I'm hoping the fall-out of this match has Cole left on Smackdown! as a commentator, while appearing on Raw as a manager... with Jim Ross returning to Raw's announce booth permanently. Oh, yeah... the match... Lawler wins... hopefully with a piledriver.

WWE United States Championship Match

King Sheamus (c) vs. Daniel Bryan

I'm glad they're finally showcasing a secondary title at WrestleMania. Sheamus and Bryan have had some really fun matches leading up to this... and I'm quite confident they'll "bring it" at WrestleMania. I'm very excited to see Bryan Danielson's first WrestleMania match. This is the only match of the show that I can't with great confidence, pick a winner. If I have to choose, which I don't... but I will anyway... I think Daniel Bryan will re-capture the United States Championship.

6-Person Mixed Tag Match

John Morrison/Trish Stratus/Snooki vs. Dolph Ziggler/Layla/Michelle McCool

Up until recent episodes of Raw I had no idea what a "Snooki" was. I know I'd heard the name before, and that she was on a reality show of some sort, but I wouldn't be able to pick her out of a line-up... and life was just a little bit nicer. I haven't followed TNA Wrestling since Hogan and the gang came in... but I'm hearing they are also using Jersey Shore people... jeez.

Anyhoo... the match. It's a real shame to waste the talents of... well, everybody involved in this match... in this match. Ziggler and Morrison certainly deserve better... and a Trish return to the ring would've been, in my opinion, best served in a non-gimmick match. Perhaps a one-on-one with Layla El or Michelle McCool.

This being a celebrity match, Snooki's team will more than likely get the win... more than likely with Snooki pinning Ziggler after either a botched "finisher" they teach her, or via capitalizing on a Starship Pain. Not looking forward to this one... and it will ultimately be this generation's "Limp Bizkit is WWE's favorite band", in trying to use popular culture without realizing how terribly it dates the product.

8-Man Tag Team Match

Big Show/Kane/Santino Marella/Vladimir Kozlov vs. Wade Barrett/Heath Slater/Justin Gabriel/Ezekiel Jackson

Hmm... Just where in the hell is Diesel? I was hoping that Big Daddy Cool would somehow get involved in this one. While we're at it... where's Kofi Kingston? He certainly deserves to perform at WrestleMania more than... err, Santino? Kozlov?

Oh well... what can ya do? The Corre needs to get the victory here to stay strong. I feel that since the original Nexus dissolved, the founding members lost a bit of their cache. Don't get me wrong, three of the four members currently carry championship gold (Intercontinental and Tag Team, respectively) but, the dangerousness of the original Nexus just isn't there.

The lack of a Money in the Bank ladder match really hurts the card, in my opinion. Too many worthy competitors are being left off the biggest show of the year. Kofi Kingston, Jack Swagger, Christian, Evan Bourne, Drew McIntyre, Ted DiBiase, Mark Henry... guys that should have fit somewhere on this show... ultimately will be relegated to the pre-show Battle Royal, that nobody will care about, or even mention the winner of, possibly only in passing. Hell, they could have debuted Sin Cara (Mistico) in the Money in the Bank match. Maybe even Awesome Kong.

Warts and all, this IS WrestleMania, and should be a good show. Haven't decided if I'll head to O'Sullivan's for this or maybe just order it and have some friends over. I am looking forward to it, for sure... and will hopefully share my thoughts on the proceedings after the show.

[Et-Cetera] More Tid-bits and Some-Such

2011-03-28T13:59:00.001-07:00

Reporting in after quite the layoff. Haven't really had a whole lot to say of late.

First, a bit of news... I was interviewed by comicbookinterviews.com, the interview can be found here. CBI is a great new site. A lot of fun to browse and well worth checking out.

Also, I've been lettering a web-comic for Red Leaf Comics that should be seeing publication in the not too distant future. I will update as it happens.

On the subject of Red Leaf Comics, I was approached recently by the publisher about possibly re-printing Ace of Spades Comics in their DARING ADVENTURES series. Before commiting, I wanted to make sure I had properly formatted art to submit. Still working between two laptops... only one of which has a working screen is a bit of a pain to itemize and appraise my completed/semi-completed work.

Was going to post my WrestleMania thoughts/predictions, however, I figure it would be best to wait until after tonight's Monday Night Raw to see if any new wrinkles get added to the card. Look for that WWE draft, so I hope to produce a series on that when it goes down.

Trying to get back in touch with my more writer-y self. Will probably be working some reviews onto the page shortly... just to get back into the swing of hearing/reading the sound of my own voice. Last summer I came across an entire run of Mike Baron's 1980's Badger Comics published through Capital and then First Comics. I'd like to review that series issue by issue, as I feel it's a little known gem that hasn't had enough said about it online. Not that my words will spread past a few eyes or anything, I just know it'll be fun to do.

I've posted thoughts on a few relatively new comic news items on the Comic Crack message boards which I may repost here pretty soon.

Anyways... that's about it for now.

[Comics] Tid-Bits & Housekeeping

2010-10-08T10:30:00.001-07:00

Back again, for awhile... back in the realm of the unemployed at the moment... they just don't make full-time permanent jobs like they used to, eh? Can't complain too much though, the temp job I just wrapped up ran three months longer than anybody thought.

Anyhoo, a few links I wanted to make folks aware of.

First, Red Leaf Comics Publisher and all around good guy, John Michael Helmer was recently interviewed at First Comics News. In it, he discusses his creation THE LEAF and his experience in the comics field. I had the pleasure of working with John on several projects, most recently a lettering job I did for him. I'd recommend checking out this interview even if it didn't mention me (er, which it does, heh). John had some very kind words about yours truly... I'd definitely like to thank him for the mention. You can see the interview in full, right here.

Second, recently I sent a few "Comic Book Urban Legends" suggestions to Brian Cronin over at Comic Book Resources' Comics Should Be Good blog. This week he used one of them, regarding Mr. Nobody from Grant Morrison's DOOM PATROL run being inspired by a character from a Betty Boop cartoon. If interested, you can check it out, right here. (I recommend checking this column out regardless... it is chock full of interesting comics info, and fun. I look forward to it every week).

Currently trying to get back in the writing habit. Have had terrible mental block for the last several months... in fact, I had to rewrite this very entry a few times. Have recently been filling in holes in my late 80's DC Comics collection, which I may try to review here at the blog as a writing exercise.

I never realized how neat post-crisis/post-legends DC was. I always knew the Giffen/DeMatteis Justice League was top quality, but never thought to read other things from that time, Suicide Squad, Captain Atom, Mister Miracle, Power of the Atom, Manhunter... some really fun stuff!

Anyhoo, that's all I've got at the moment. Will try to get back into the updating habit, now that I'm once-more out of work.

[Comics] Surprising Theater #2

2010-08-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

Long time no see.

Just realized I'd neglected to promote the release of Surprising Comics #2.

Surprising Theater #2- 20 pages. Features a cover by Steve Williams. Features a 7 page Golden Age Leaf story, a 5 page Skyscraper story, a 2 page Depthon story, a 5 page Modern Leaf story, and a 1 page Big Foot story.

I'd be remiss to mention the 2 Page Depthon story was scripted by Yours Truly (with incredible art by Steve Williams who's work also graces the cover). My first comics work in quite some time.

Surprising Theater #2 is available at the Surprising Comics online store for $2.99.

Digital Download available at DriveThruComics for the low, low price of 99 CENTS!

[Comics] The Dancing Hand of Death

2010-03-21T20:06:00.001-07:00

In reacquainting myself with the humble blog, I was shocked to realize that I'd never posted my first collaboration with Mark Davis... "The Dancing Hand of Death!!!" If you can suffer through my artistic katywampusness, you'll find a decent tale.

This was a rather painstaking undertaking which I had initially attempted to complete on a laptop from the mid 1990's (this piece was intended as a launch story for LandMark Comics in 2004). I eventually relented, and did some of the lettering by hand. It wasn't until several months later, after having bought an actual new-ish laptop, as well as a scanner that was capable of scanning in pages larger than 8 1/2" x 11" that I was able to finish lettering and wrap it up.

Enjoy!

The reworked Dancing Hand of Death I'd pitched to the FRAMEWORKS project can be seen here: http://aceofspadescomics.blogspot.com/2008/03/comics-frameworks-2008-submission.html

[Lettering] Zack and Zoey, Strip 4

2010-03-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

(click for full-size)

Just posting another sample of my lettering work... this time it's from a web-strip entitled Zack and Zoey, featuring the talents of Mick Edwards (writer), Tayson Martindale (artist) and Daniel Chan (regular letterer).

You can follow this strip at http://zackandzoey.smackjeeves.com/

I'd like to thank Mick for the opportunity to letter his strip... it was a fun project, and I look forward to more if ever the need should arise.

[Politics] Separation of This and That

2010-03-13T13:29:00.001-08:00

In the interest of getting back into the more creative aspect of this blog, I've decided to shut my big fat mouth about all things political... THOSE posts will be shunted over to http://www.resistnet.com/profiles/blog/list?user=2iv1al3ntvtvn check'em out if you're interested. Otherwise, we'll still talk about story-telling pictures, Japanese cartoons, men in tights pretending to fight and all sorts of nerdy stuff.

Signed up for the 2010 Script Frenzy. There are a few aspiring scriptwriters where I'm working these days... so, maybe, with their support the 3rd time'll be the charm. With any luck, FISH HEADS will finally be completed.

STRAITJACKET VACATION is now available for download... so, hey if you were one of the skatey-eight hundred folks who just bought an iPad... why not make STRAITJACKET VACATION one of your first ebooks? Only $5, right here:

http://www.lulu.com/product/download/straitjacket-vacation/6380039

Anyhoo... enough housekeeping for now.

[Comics] Surprising Theater #1

2010-03-13T12:30:00.000-08:00

Long time, no see, eh? First post of 2010's showing up in mid-March. I know I'm only "sometimes prolific" but this is ridiculous.

Anyhoo...

Received word from good buddy, Mark Davis that his Surprising Comics has just released their first offering, SURPRISING THEATER #1. This is a full-size 20 or so paged comic-book, priced at $2.99.

Interested parties can place an order at Surprising Comics' web-site.

Some of whatcha'll get:

"Honor thy Father" feauring Skyscraper by Mark F. Davis & Randy Valiente

"Summer Slam" featuring The Leaf by John Michael Helmer & Brad Eastburn

"My Hero" feauring Sgt. Freedom by Lloyd Smith & Randy Valiente

In other news, I was offered a short story in an upcoming issue of Surprising Theater featuring a character named Depthon.

Anyhow, check it out... and stay tuned. Hopefully I'll be a bit more talkative from here on in.

[Et-Cetera] School Project

2009-10-22T17:30:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since my last update, as my Internet access has been sporadic at best. Right now, I just wanted to mention a project my wife is working on in order to procure an easel for her classroom.

I've been bugging everyone in my address book to see if anyone would be interested in throwing a few bucks in, or at least passing the link along to potential donors. I know the humble blog doesn't receive any real traffic, but I figured it couldn't hurt to post the request here as well.

Anyhoo, whether you can donate or not... thank you for reading!

__________________________________________________

Hello!

I'm currently teaching at Fowler Elementary in Phoenix and due to budget cuts my school is lacking funds.

To help my students achieve great things this year, I've posted a request at DonorsChoose.org for the resources that would make the biggest difference in my classroom. Any donation towards my project will go directly towards helping my kids and it's tax deductible.

This is how you can help. Visit http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=329214&sharebar=true and support my classroom project. Also, please forward this link and help me spread the word!

Thanks in advance for your help in supporting both me AND the DonorsChoose.org teacher community!

Best,
Maribel

[Et-Cetera] Eulogy for a Laptop

2009-10-02T00:05:00.000-07:00

It's been a little while... kind of a rough few months at the homestead, the very least of which was my lap top's monitor deciding to black-out. Was going okay for awhile... I'd be able to get about 10 minutes of computer usage at a time before my "monitor timer" would run out... sometimes I could finagle a few more moments to finish whatever project I was working on, or at the very least hit "Save" by toggling the little rubber peg that would be compressed when the lap top's lid is shut. It didn't take long for the screen to simply give out completely.

The laptop itself still runs, and on a good day I can get about 30 seconds worth of screen time out of the ol' girl (or boy... whatever).

Right now I'm working on a borrowed unit. It could be worse, so I really can't complain (too much).

It's funny how you don't realize how dependent you are on something until it's no longer available. I'd use my computer for EVERYTHING. From something silly like checking the TV listings to diligently sending out resumes in hope of finding myself some gainful employment to writing, editting and formatting my entire first novel.

That old laptop and I have been through a lot together.

That being said, I've found a "Wizard of Oz" moment in my time away from the Internet. Everything was suddenly in color. It's so refreshing... people in real life don't say things like "fail" or "epic" or "owned" (and these are people MY AGE online, pushing 30 with a bulldozer). Ya know, when you're "connected" for most of the day, you start to forget that there ARE normal people out there... and not just the nutty web-types.

Anyhoo... I was going to try and take whatever time I find myself "connected" to give my thoughts on the WWE's upcoming, and dreadfully named "Hell in the Cell" pay per view... however, with the state of the current pro-wrestling product, I'm finding myself lacking for enthusiasm. Didn't help matters much that I had to miss my first episode of Monday Night Raw in about 10 years this past week due to a sad choice of "guest host". If I can get it together in a somewhat informative, if not entertaining fashion, I'll do so.

Oh well, just playin' catch-up... thanks for reading y'all.

[Script] Ace of Spades Comics "Issue Number Seventeen" - Pages, 13-16

2009-08-17T00:21:00.000-07:00

13.1

Taps picks up an odd shaped food.

Taps: “What… what is this stuff?”
Iggy: “Just eat it… it’s not as though there’s any taste.”
Iggy: “It just fills the void… you know?”

13.2

Both men are eating.

Taps: “Earlier you alluded to knowing who I am, or who I was… I’d appreciate it if you told me.”
Iggy: “No, earlier I told you the Rat would eat your face if YOU don’t tell me who you are. Earlier than that I told you I knew who you are-was.”
Taps: “So, which is it???”
Iggy: “Yes.”

13.3

Taps gets frustrated.

Taps: “No!”
Iggy: “Okay, no.”
Taps: “No… I mean, yes… I mean, tell me!”
Iggy: “Can’t.”

13.4

Taps slumps back into his seat. The food has vanished/expired.

Taps: “You can’t?”
Iggy: “Nope, can’t.”
Taps: “Why not?”
Iggy: “I’ll be shuffled.”
Taps: “Shuffled?”
Iggy: “Listen. I can’t say anymore than that. They’ll know.”

14.1

Taps looks confused.

Taps: “Who’ll know?
Iggy: “Listen. We NEED to change the subject, okay?”
Iggy: “It’s in BOTH of our best interests if we change the subject.”

14.2

Taps settles down.

Taps: “Fine… how long have you been here?”
Iggy: “I dunno.”
Taps: “You mean, you can’t tell me?”
Iggy: “No… really, I don’t know.”

14.3

Iggy pontificates.

Iggy: “You can’t expect a man to count sixty for every minute, three-thousand six-hundred for every hour, eighty-six thousand four-hundred for every day, six hundred four thousand eight-hundred for every week, and thirty-one million four-hundred forty-nine thousand six hundred for every year, now can you?”
Taps: “I suspect not. How are those numbers so quick for you to summon.”

14.4

Iggy has a look of utter defeat on his face.

Iggy: “Trust me. Those numbers are very familiar to me. Very familiar.”
Iggy: “When you reach three-billion one-hundred forty-four million nine-hundred sixty-thousand you sorta lose hope.”
Iggy: “Numbers, at once begin to mean everything in the world and nothing at all.”

14.5

Taps has a solemn look on his face, suddenly realizing the fate that’s in store for him.

Taps: “I, uh… guess not.”
Taps: “Have you, uh… ever tried to get out of here?”

14.6

Iggy nods the affirmative.

Iggy: “No… never.”
Taps: “I see.”

15.1

Taps stands up from the table.

Taps: “I don’t know about you, Iggy but they’re not keeping me here.”
Iggy: “I know what you’re getting at but there’s no way out.”

15.2

Taps opens the front door of the house.

Taps: “They didn’t even lock us in. Let’s go.”
Iggy: “Wow, you ARE new. Give leaving a try…”

15.3

Taps is suddenly in front yard. Walking towards fence.

Taps: “Look, Iggy. There’s nothin’ to it!”

15.4

Iggy is standing in the doorway. Taps in on the other side of the fence.

Taps: “C’mon Iggy, let’s get out of here together.”
Iggy: “Just go ahead and leave, if you can.”

15.5

Taps begins to walk.

15.6

Taps, still walking… but not getting anywhere. Looks as though he’s walking in place.

Taps: “Wha?”
Iggy: “Try running!”

16.1

Taps begins to run… however; he’s still not getting anywhere.

Iggy: “Faster!”

16.2

Taps is running at a furious speed… still not moving.

Iggy: “Faster still!”

16.3

Taps is running even faster, is sweating like mad.

Iggy: “Can you go faster?”

16.4

Taps collapses.

Iggy: “Toldja so.”
Iggy: “idiot.”

16.5

Iggy is dragging a nearly unconscious Taps back towards the house.

Iggy: “C’mon, I’ll fix you drink to eat.”
Taps: “What…to… drink?”
Iggy: “Nothing. Come on.”

[Wrestling] TNA Hard Justice 2009

2009-08-14T01:16:00.000-07:00

Well, it's certainly been an interesting month for Total Non-Stop Action. Turmoil behind the scenes, as well as a rumored power-shift, could be the perfect recipe for exciting wrestling television. This month's offering is Hard Justice. Initially, it was announced/rumored that all of the matches will be contested under "No-DQ" ruling, much like WWE's Extreme Rules and WCW's Un-Censored... I'm not entirely sure if this stipulation remains. I would bag on TNA for taking this page out of the WWE playbook, however, it's a perfectly decent idea for a gimmick pay-per-view.

Now, onto the matches:

TNA World Heavyweight Title Match

Kurt Angle (C) v Sting v Matt Morgan

It's nice to see TNA elevating new talent to the Main Event level. I'm not much of a fan of Matt Morgan, but it's still very nice to see nonetheless. Other the past several weeks, The Blueprint was put in a "Best of 3" series with AJ Styles. With AJ, Morgan put on some great matches, potentially the best of his career thus far. Kurt Angle and Sting continue their rivalry that has been going on for the past few months. I don't see TNA taking the title off of Angle this close to Bound For Glory (October), as I feel that should be saved for the bigger show. I can see Morgan having a rather impressive showing for his first pay-per-view main event match.

TNA Legends Title Match

Kevin Nash v Mick Foley (C)

Kevin Nash further proves to be one of the most entertaining guys on the roster (probably any roster, right now). I gushed over his "Businessman" gimmick in my last TNA-PPV post, and those feelings remain. As far as Foley is concerned... I'm not sure why I should care. He's a heel, he's a babyface, he's a heel, he's a babyface. He's been in TNA less than a year, and has turned so often, I need to be reminded each week which entrance way he should be coming out of. I'm guessing at this point in time, he's playing face... possibly shifted into a conjoined Foley-Jarrett role, had Jarrett not taken a leave of absence a month or so back. Regardless of all that, this should be a fun match. Foley will still push his limits, and it will be fun watching businessman, Kevin Nash pick and choose what's "worth" doing for him and his paycheck. I'd like to see a Nash victory.

X-Division Title Match

Samoa Joe v Homicide (C)

I almost feel bad for Samoa Joe. I wouldn't go so far as to say the X-Division title is below him, however, it seemed as though they were building a head of steam for him to leave a lasting impression in the main event scene. Taz's arrival last month didn't really do much for either man. Homicide is always impressive, as is Joe. This should be a great match, possibly match of the night. I would like to see Homicide retain.

Steel Asylum Match

Suicide v Chris Sabin v The Amazing Red v Alex Shelley v Jay Lethal v Christopher Daniels v Consequences Creed

TNA announced that D'Angelo Dinero would be debuting at Hard Justice (who is heavily rumored to be former WWE/ECW Superstar, Elijah Burke). Not sure if his debut will be as an entrant in this match or not. It's also interesting just how quickly Christopher Daniels dropped out of the upper mid-card. He certainly deserves better. Both Suicide (as Kaz) and Jay Lethal have won Steel Asylum's in the past. I'd like to see Daniel's take this one, and hopefully gain a decent foothold in the upper mid-card once and for all. That is, of course, unless Dinero DOES debut for this match... in that case, I pick him.

$50,000 Bounty Match

Jethro Holliday v Abyss

Abyss's old "counselor" Dr. Stevie Richards has placed a $50,000 bounty on his head. This is a great old school set-up, leading to several interesting opportunities. I don't see Holliday (the former Trevor Murdoch) winning this one. It should be fun watching to see who else tries to cash-in and take Abyss out.

Rob Terry v Hernandez

Rob Terry is physically impressive. In the ring, however, is a different story. Hernandez has been on a tear since returning from injury (as well as before he was injured). This match is predicated on the Feast or Fired Briefcase that Hernandez won at Sacrifice earlier this year. The British Invasion took possession of it (as well as Homicide's case) before taking Hernandez out. They seem to be building Hernandez as the next big thing (and rightfully so). That said, he should take this one.

IWGP Tag Team Title Match

Beer Money, Inc. v The British Invasion (C)

Up until last week there was a bit of confusion over whether or not New Japan would let The British Invasion's title victory stand. Ultimately, the title switch stands, and honestly, that's for the best. The British Invasion, Magnus & Williams are a couple of great wrestlers. This match, if not for the X-Division Title match would be my pick for Match of the Night. I'd like to see The British Invasion retain here, and scoot Beer Money over to chasing the TNA Tag titles.

TNA Women's Knockout's Title Match

ODB v Angelina Love (C)

Another breath of fresh air. A title match without Tara or Awesome Kong in it. Opening up the field for a new challenger in ODB. Great decision in my humble opinion. ODB, with sidekick/love-interest, Cody Deaner have been incredibly entertaining both in and out of the ring. At this point, I don't see Love dropping the title, however, I wouldn't mind seeing an ODB run with the belt.

TNA Tag Team Title Match

Team 3D v Scott Steiner & Booker T (C)

Well, it's certainly nice to see Team 3D in a feud that doesn't have anything to do with "respect" or "beating respect into anybody". How they became the #1 contenders to the Titles, I don't know. Not that it matters, they're clearly TNA's marquee tag team (especially with Beer Money, Inc. otherwise engaged for the evening). This match is probably the hardest one to call... or even care about. Personally, I'm tired of all four men. I'd reckon The Main Event Mafia retains, and builds towards Bound For Glory with Beer Money, Inc. chasing for the belts.

Well, there ya have it. All in all, a decently stacked show. If I had the money, I'd consider making the purchase. TNA has really picked up their game over the past few months... and if some of the backstage rumors are true, they'll continue to raise the bar in the near future.

By the way, next week we've got WWE's SummerSlam... Enjoy the show!

[Script] Ace of Spades Comics "Issue Number Seventeen" - Pages, 9-12

2009-08-14T01:14:00.000-07:00

9.1

The Iguana points to his crotch.

Iguana: “Not ‘Who’, but ‘What’.”
Taps: “I, uh, don't follow?”
Iguana: “Follow, hmm.”

9.2

The Iguana moves his face in really close to Taps. He has a sickly smile on his face.

Iguana: “If you don’t tell the Iguana who you are, the Rat will eat your face.”

9.3

Taps takes the Iguana by the collar. He is furious.

Taps: “Listen, Iggy… if your “Rat” tries to eat my face… I’ll eat it!”

9.4

Iggy begins to laugh, Taps clearly is unaware of what the “rat” which Iggy spoke was.

Iggy: “Hahaha… if the Rat needed a summer home, I could think of no better place than inside your warm, soft mouth”
Iggy: “I just didn’t figure you for… one’a them.”

9.5

Taps is boiling over with rage.

Taps: “One of who?”

9.6

Iggy looks a bit bewildered as though he’d maybe heard something wrong.

Iggy: “Well… you offered to, well… uh, you’re gay, right?”

10.1

Taps raises an eyebrow.

Taps: “No.”

10.2

Same as 10.1

10.3

Same as 10.1/2

10.4

Same as 10.1/2/3

Taps: “… you?”

10.5

Iggy looks like he was just insulted.

Iggy: “No… what’re you, crazy? I like boobies and girly-parts.”
Taps: “I, just might be…”
Taps: “Uh, crazy… that is. Not gay.”

10.6

Iggy and Taps stare across the table at each other uncomfortably.

11.1

Iggy shakes off his discomfort.

Iggy: “Uh, anyways… um, did you meet Steward?”
Taps: “I uh… don’t know. There was a man, I think.”
Taps: “Yeah… there was a man who, uh, brought me here… is HE Steward?”

11.2

Iggy nods.

Iggy: “Yeah, that’s him. He do the whole ‘Alice’ shtick?”
Taps: “Yeah… I think I remember that. It… feels like, that was years ago.”

11.3

Iggy moves closer to Taps.

Iggy: “It might have been, but at the same time it was not. There’s no time here. No measurement of distance… nothing like that.”
Taps: “So… wait. You’re admitting that there’s a here… and a there, correct?”
Iggy: “Sure. There certainly can’t only be this room… in this house… on this road… in this valley, can there?”

11.4

Taps has a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Taps: “So… how do I get back there???”
Iggy: “Simple.”

11.5

Iggy points over to a full-length mirror that is hanging on the wall.

Taps: “The Mirror?”
Taps: “Ha! We’re on the other side of the mirror???”
Iggy: “No… they are.”

12.1

Taps gets up to go over to the mirror.

Taps: “Well… it’s been fun, Iggy. I’ll be going now.”
Iggy: “You better get a running start.”
Taps: “Okay, thanks.”

12.2

Taps SLAMS into the mirror cracking it.

12.3

Taps is sitting on the ground in front of the shattered mirror. He has a gash on his forehead.

Taps: “I thought you said…”
Iggy: “I lie… I’m… a… liar. That’s what I do.”
Iggy: “I do that, because that’s what I do… only not when I don’t.”
Iggy: “Do… that is.”

12.4

Taps sits back down in his seat. There’s suddenly food at the place settings.

Taps: “Where’d this food come from?”
Iggy: “It’s from the place that sent it.”
Iggy: “It’s our rations. They come around every once in awhile.”
Iggy: “That’s why I’m always in this room. Meals are only around until they expire. When they expire they go away. Ya know?”

[Script] Ace of Spades Comics "Issue Number Seventeen" - Pages, 5-8

2009-08-13T18:18:00.000-07:00

5.1

The bench arrives at the Main Square of There. The streets are suddenly loaded with people, standing as though they are about to experience a parade. There are two military types standing at the first intersection.

Passenger: “Okay, boy… before I take my leave, I must pass on the importance of not panicking.”
Taps: “Huh?”
Passenger: “Do not Panic. No matter how dread the situation appears.”
Passenger: “Also, remember… you’re on hostile ground, however, I am a friend.”

5.2

Taps looks terribly flustered. The Passenger smiles broadly.

Passenger: “Remember everything I said…”

5.3

The Passenger vanishes all but his wide smile.

“Passenger: “Remember.”

5.4
Taps, still nervous and sickly frustrated cannot help but chuckle. The military types surround his mobile-bench.

Soldier A: “Halt!”
Soldier B: “It’s past curfew… you will halt!”

5.5

Taps regains his bearings and is angry. He begins to stand up off of the bench.

Taps: “Curfew? It’s the middle of the day, and the streets are flooded with…”

5.6

The main square is now empty, and there is a dark haze as if it were night.

Taps: “… Peop…le.”

6.1

Taps has a crazed look in his eyes.

Taps: “I know there were people… I just know it. They looked as though… they were… welcoming me.”
Soldier A: “Sure they were… now, let’s take you home before you get yourself into any more trouble.”

6.2

The military types each take Taps by an arm. Taps begins to struggle.

Soldier A: “Hey, buddy… it’ll be easier for all of us if you don’t resist.”
Soldier B: “Continued resistance will only result in pain.”
Both Soldiers: “Now we take you home!”

6.3

Taps and the Soldiers are suddenly on the porch steps of a brownstone home. There is high grass in the front yard and is surrounded by a fence.

Soldier A: “This is your home, yes?”
Taps: “Ye—I mean, I don’t know… I, uh… guess.”
Soldier B: “This is your home, yes?”

6.4

Taps slumps into his shoulders, now seemingly only being held up by the soldiers.

Taps: “…”
Taps: “yes.”

7.1

Taps is sitting at a small table in a small kitchen. It is set for two, yet he is alone. Taps is checking his pockets.

Taps: “Nothing in my pockets…”

7.2

Taps is suddenly in a shadow of a man.

Voice: “They do that, ya know…”
Voice: “Empty your pockets, I mean.”
Voice: “That’s what they do.”

7.3

The man seats himself across the table from Taps at the other table setting. He looks quite flea-bitten, with a long scraggly goatee and long wavy hair that looks as if it were partially burnt straw.

Man: “Welcome home, er…”
Taps: “I don’t know my name… I, uh… I don’t know who I am.”
Taps: “Do you?”

7.4

The man looks as though he knows something.

Man: “Who you are? Or who you were? Oh, they’re nearly the same, I suppose… you suppose not?”
Man: “What is stripped from one is given to another… when the puddles rise, new names will be given.”
Taps: “I don’t understand.”

7.5

Man is smiling.

Man: “No, I suppose you do not. It’s quite simple, actually… can I get you something to eat?”
Taps: “Uh… sure, what do you… er, we have?”
Man: “Nothing, actually.”

8.1

Taps, once again is frustrated.

Taps: “Then why do you offer? Who are you, anyways?”
Man: “Why am I to introduce myself, when you have not?”
Taps: “Because, I DO NOT KNOW WHO I AM!!!”

8.2

The Man raises an eyebrow.

Man: “Yes, well… I suppose that’s right.”
Man: “They gave me a number… but I traded it with my goldfish.”
Man: “I was number twenty, but my Goldfish was sixty-nine. So we traded.”
Taps: “So… we’re numbered?”

8.3

69 laughs.

69: “No, no, no… not necessarily. Some of us are numbered, some of us are lettered, and some of us are given names by the ruling class.”
69: “For example…”

8.4

69 now has his hands raised a la “The Karate Kid” and has his tongue sticking out.

69: “I… am the Iguana”
Iguana: “I am the Iguana, but HE is the Rat!”
Taps: “Who’s he?”

[Script] Ace of Spades Comics "Issue Number Seventeen" - Pages, 1-4

2009-08-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

Wow, that may be the longest title I'd ever posted. I'll be sure to shorten it for future installments. This is the story I'd written about in my last post.

A bit of backstory: This bit features a character named "Taps" who appears very briefly throughout the first couple of story arcs of Ace of Spades Comics... mostly in the background. As of this issue, his backstory is largely untold. It's just known that he'd been given an assignment to tail the "boys" and ensure they're doing what they're supposed to be doing.

Before this story begins, Taps was involved in a plane crash.

That's about it. Oh, this script uses the Page-dot-Panel layout.

Anyhoo... here are the first 4 pages (of 16) of "Issue Number Seventeen". Enjoy... or don't, heh.

------------------------------------------

Ace of Spades Comics

Issue #17 – “Issue Number Seventeen”

Chris Sheehan

1.1

Black Panel.

Voice: “Get up.”

1.2

Black Panel

Voice: “C’mon now, wake up.”

1.3

Blurry Vision, view from back seat of car looking into front seat. There is no Driver; the passenger is looking back at reader.

Passenger: “C’mon, chap… get with it.”

1.4

Mr. Taps is the person in the backseat. He is disoriented, and looks a bit nervous.

Taps: “Where… wha—what’s going on?”
Passenger: “Oh, come now. You can’t have forgotten so soon.”

1.5

The car appears to be on a road that extends forever into the horizon. There’s a sign that reads:

THERE

NOT TOO FAR AWAY

Caption/Passenger: “We’re almost home.”

2.1

Taps and the Passenger are suddenly out of the car and are walking towards the valley.

Taps: “Where did the car go?”
Passenger: “There never was a car.”
Taps: “We were just in a car… I know we were!”
Taps: “What’s the deal here?”

2.2

The Passenger extends his hand to Taps.

Passenger: “You’d better take my hand, you’ll never get anywhere if you don’t.”
Taps: “I asked you a question… now what is going on?”

2.3

The Passenger forcibly takes Taps by the hand.

Taps: “Where’s the car? Where’s the driver?”
Passenger: “Did you see a driver? I didn’t.”
Taps: “So there WAS a car???”

2.4

Taps and the Passenger continue on to the Valley.

Passenger: “Why certainly… I couldn’t have dragged you the whole way here, now could I?”
Taps: “I thought you said…”
Passenger: “If it makes you more comfortable, we can simply…”

2.5

Taps and Passenger are back in the car, now both are in the back seat.

Passenger: “… Return to the car.”

3.1

Taps and Passenger are again walking.

Passenger: “I’d rather we walk though. It gives us time to talk and… appreciate the scenery.”

3.2

The Mat-Hatter is sitting on a tree-stump with the March Hare and Dormouse.

Taps: “This isn’t… Wonderland, is it?”
Passenger: “No, no, no… of course it’s not. We’re here.”
Taps: “Where’s here? What’re those characters doing HERE?”

3.3

The Passenger sits at a bench that wasn’t there prior.

Passenger: “I’ll tell you a secret.”
Passenger: “Whenever a writer feels the need to interject any sort of surrealism into a story… they automatically fall back to the stories of Lewis Carroll.”

3.4

The Passenger shields his mouth towards Taps as if to tell a secret.

Passenger: “Which I feel are highly overrated, by the way…”
Taps: “Listen… this is too messed up for me. Let me just go home, please.”

3.5

The Passenger and Taps are both sitting on the bench. The Hatter and Co. falls over, as they are actually cardboard cutouts of the characters.

Passenger: “Let me ask you this. Where is home?”
Taps: “Uh…”
Passenger: “And while we’re at it… Who are you?”
Taps: “Wai- uh… I, uh… I knew just a second ago. What’s… uh…”

3.6

Close up on Tap’s face. He is sweating profusely, and is panicked.

Taps: “What did you do to me… what did you do to me????”

4.1

Passenger and Tap’s bench is now moving towards the Valley. Taps is exasperated.

Passenger: “You needn’t worry, chap. We’ll be home soon, and you can sleep this awful panic off.”

4.2

There is finally in sight. “There” is actually a small town, looks very old, but well kept. The streets are empty, yet at the same time… full of life. The town is but a blemish on the widespread green grass that surrounds it.

[Comics] Suprising Comics #1 Cover Mash-Up

2009-08-04T15:46:00.000-07:00

In the interest of posting anything, when I don't have all that much to say (rather sick of the sound of my own voice, to be quite honest). I figure I'll post up the mash-up cover I'd put together for Surprising Comics, Issue #1. This wasn't a FINAL, by any means... just an idea, and like I'd said, a "mash-up" of the stories that would be taking place in the book.

As it appears this book will not be published (I believe a couple of these stories have been picked up by another publisher), I don't see any harm in posting the initial Cover variation I'd put together.

I'm thinking I'll be posting some more script work up on the blog in the near-future. Trying to get back into the "creative" swing of things. Tired of everything right now, and hope it will provide me an escape.

First, I'm thinking will be a solo-story of one of the Ace of Spades Comics side characters, entitled "Issue Number Seventeen". It's a two-parter, that separates the main stories of the third arc of Ace of Spades Comics.

Anyhoo, that's all I've got at the moment.

[Et-Cetera] I Got Mail

2009-07-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

I haven't checked out my Comicspace for the past few months, so imagine my surprise when I did finally check it out to find that there were a (very) few people there that followed the blog, and had a few questions. Usually when I see an email/post entitled "About your blog", I figure it's going to be a political argument. It was refreshing to see that these were actually comicbook related inquiries. Figured I'd do the Question & Answers column right here, just to give me an excuse to post something comicbook related for the first time in God knows how long.

Anyhoo, here we go.

Q - Your "Retro-reviews" of MiracleMan were pretty good. Are there any plans to continue them?

A - At this time, unfortunately no... they're on hold. It's not that I don't want to continue them (I absolutely love the book), it's just that I haven't been able to acquire the remaining issues of the run. I believe I left off at issue 10 or so. I have up until 12, however, Alan Moore's "Book Three" of MiracleMan has the distinction of ending with a rather sought after and expensive MiracleMan #15 (not including the epilogue-ish #16, or course). The low-ball price I can find on eBay right now for that issue (ungraded, so's that I can actually read it) is $99.99. Right now, I just don't have that kind of money... and while I could just hunt down scans of it on the Internet, I've never enjoyed reading comics that way... and I'd be afraid it would get in the way of the overall experience. Rest assured, if I do ever find the remainder of the run (at least the Alan Moore run) I will definitely post my thoughts/reviews here.

While on the subject of the Retro-reviews, I have given some thought to working my way thru the run of Howard Chaykin's American Flagg (Issues 1-28) that I'd received in the fall of '07. With my family's most recent move, a lot of my comics are in storage. I'll be rescuing them shortly... so, we'll see how it goes from there.

Q - Your links are broken.

A - Yeah... I know. A lot of my BrokenFrontier and ComicNews links are currently not up to date. I've emailed the admins of those sites to see if my reviews have just been moved, or purged altogether. I haven't written any "pro" reviews in over a year, and the folks I did write for kinda ran out of patience for my shenanigans (which I totally understand, I've been a total flight-risk since losing my job last spring). If my reviews have been moved, I'll be updating the links. If my work's simply been purged, I'll just post the entire reviews here in the appropriate posting... I won't be making new posts, as I'm sure nobody's all that interested in my review of year+old comics (MiracleMan, and hopefully American Flagg excluded).

Q - How can I draw for the Collaborative Comic Project? (note: I've also received inquiries about the 100 Artist's Project).

A - As far as the CCP is concerned, I don't know. It's recently come to my attention that the site is down (and may have been down for awhile as of this writing). I've since tried to get ahold of the fella behind the project, but as of yet, I haven't heard anything back. I'm holding out hope that the project will eventually continue, if only for the fact that I did a page for them. The 100 Artist's Project, while kinda stalled at the moment, is still as far as I know, a working organization. (Their blog is at http://100artists.blogspot.com). I know it's been slow going for Ben of late... I know, I myself have let him down on a piece of "Art" I'd promised him that I never came thru on. Hopefully things will pick up over there for him. It's a really fun project, and is going for charity... so there's really no downside to getting involved.

Q - You don't talk too much about comics anymore.

A - That's a true statement. I haven't discussed comics, because, quite frankly, I don't read them anymore. It breaks my heart to say, there's really nothing left for "me" in comics. I've been a fan for over twenty years. I hadn't missed an issue of the Uncanny X-Men since 1988 (until a few months ago). The stories just aren't there for me anymore... the entire industry has become (in the words of John Byrne) more about the singer and less about the song. I could care less about whoever's writing X-Men or Spider-Man right now... I want to care about the characters again... not "some new writer who's going to be replaced in a couple of months anyway's radical new take on" the characters. The price-point, is also rather troubling. I can't justify spending $3-$5 for a decompressed 10 minute read anymore. If I could be given a guarantee that for the story arc that I'm reading, the book won't raise in price while it's in that arc... or won't offer a "special edition" $5 issue or "Annual" for the climax/conclusion... I may be interested. Money's tight right now... and like I said, justifying a $4.99 purchase that I'll "enjoy" one time over 10 minutes... I just can't do it. Especially considering I can buy a used manga (at 250-300 pages) for $4.00.

Added to the fact that stories JUST DON'T END anymore... Imagine buying every issue of "Final Crisis"... there are STILL books coming out with that title... every week I read the new-releases. END a story every once in awhile, please. I know what I'm asking is bad business, especially when these tie-in's continue to sell. It's around here, that I realize that I'm probably no longer a part of the core audience that American comics are looking to sell to. I don't go to the movies, I don't share their political views (which they have no trouble placing front-and-center of late), and really... I just don't get excited about TV show writers slumming it in comics. To write about them now would do them a great disservice. Maybe if/when this current comics era passes, I'll get involved again. Until then, I'll stick to my crazy backwards comics.

Anyhoo, those are just some of the questions I've received over the past couple of months. I wouldn't expect this to become a regular feature or anything... I just don't get the traffic, nor am I that interesting of a guy. I hope this was helpful if anybody is taken a'back by the lack of comics-content on my originally comics-related blog.

[Wrestling] WWE Night of Champions 2009

2009-07-24T15:43:00.001-07:00

Another week, another Wrestling pay-per-view. This time it's WWE's Night of Champions. The event where every WWE Title is on the line. A very fun concept, and a nice way to add something special to the show. I mentioned in my last WWE PPV article that Cyber Sunday was going to be changed to Annihilation. The title has been changed again... this time to the even lamer "WWE Bragging Rights"... and how I was looking forward to seeing the Superstars bust out "Fatalities" at the end of their matches.

This show had the great advantage of being placed several weeks after the last PPV event, giving feuds time to percolate a bit more than usual. In a nice touch, the WWE stopped having ANY title matches over the past few weeks to ensure who the champions would be going in and to make this show feel a bit more special.

Onto the matches:

WWE Title Match:

Randy orton (c) v Triple H v John Cena

Okay, before I go into this one, I'd like to say that I hope the Triple H/John Cena comedy tour doesn't come to my town any time soon. This past Monday on Raw, we were treated to about five minutes of shtick between HHH and Cena... all the while poor (WWE Champion) Randy Orton had to stand outside the ring and seethe. This match was put together thru a mini tournament that came down to John Cena and Triple H. Their match went to a No-Contest, so the natural result is a triple threat match. I'd like to see Orton pull this one out, however, his character and effectiveness has been neutered, seemingly at every turn. I can't remember the last time he was made to look credible. I guess an argument can be made that he's playing the classic chickens*** heel, but that kind of clashes with his current heartless, remorseless "viper" gimmick. I have a sneaking suspicion that Triple H will take the title here, and we'll be seeing this same match again at SummerSlam (possibly with a stipulation).

World Heavyweight Title Match:

CM Punk (c) v Jeff Hardy

CM Punk's heel turn doesn't seem complete just yet. He's still playing a (little) bit in the middle here. This match has been built very well, and has featured great work by both men. We're currently in July, which is when Jeff Hardy's contract was rumored to expire. There hasn't been any news on his contractual status as of yet, so with that niggling thought in the back of my mind, I almost have to give the win to Punk. Unless this is a rare occasion where the news hasn't been leaked yet, I can't see Hardy going over when he could just take off on the next week or two. I expect a great match regardless.

ECW Title Match:

Tommy Dreamer (c) v Christian

This match is kind of dependent on the Unified Tag Title Match. I've picked Christian as Jericho's mystery partner. I think it could be telegraphed here if Dreamer gets the win, and is immediately swooped into a Vladimir Koslov confrontation/feud. It would be interesting if Christian were to win here, and also be the mystery partner. I'm not sure how big the WWE is at the moment on having a double champion. Either way, Christian and Dreamer have worked together surprisingly well over the past several weeks/months. This should be a decent match. If I had to pick a winner... I'll go with Dreamer, if only to further push my outlandish hope that Christian is Jericho's pick.

Intercontinental Title Match:

Rey Mysterio (c) v Dolph Ziggler

One of the most improved superstars on the roster versus one of the most consistently awesome superstars on the roster. This match has no downside. Ziggler, goofy name aside, has really stepped up his game since moving to the blue show. Mysterio has been great for as long as I can remember, at this point. Since there are no strange stipulations attached to this one, I'm going to pick Dolph here.

United States Title Match:

Kofi Kingston (c) v The Miz v Jack Swagger v MVP v The Big Show v Carlito Colon

The omission of Primo Colon here is mind boggling. Primo had an awesome showing this past Raw in a six-man-tag, where he pinned his brother Carlito for the win. Putting the, not so awesome Carlito in this match in his stead seems kind of strange. No Evan Bourne here either, which is also odd. Anyhoo, I'd like to see Jack Swagger walk out with the US strap, and move on to a singles feud with MVP. It's only fitting for the "All-American American" to be the United States Champion. The Big Show inclusion is a bit annoying here as well, he should really be in WWE Title contention (which is a terribly stale program at the moment). It seems as though his pushes are sporadic enough to where he looks like a contender, but too sporadic in that he doesn't look like a credible champion.

Unified Tag Team Title Match:

Chris Jericho & ??? (C) v Priceless/Legacy (Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes)

Chris Jericho and Edge won the Unified Tag Team Titles last month at The Bash, when SmackDown! General Manager, Teddy Long added them to the Colons v DiBiase/Rhodes match in the interest of "shaking things up" and appeasing Mr. McMahon (who had just put Teddy on "probation"). In the weeks that followed, Edge had suffered a torn Achilles tendon which may keep him out of action for up to a year. Rather than strip Jericho/Edge of the titles, they've gone another route. Chris Jericho claims to have written special stipulations into his Championship agreement. Knowing that Edge is "injury prone", he had these stips written in to protect his investment in the team... now, Jericho is sole owner of the Unified Tag Team titles and reserves the right to choose his next tag team partner.

Got all that?

Good.

DiBiase and Rhodes are still in the same position they've been in since forming Legacy. They're Randy Orton's back-up, and are the guys that generally take the beatings that are meant for Orton. Last month, I picked Priceless to take the titles, so that all members of the Legacy would have gold. This time, I'm going the other direction. Jericho and his new partner will win, and the loss will further sow dissension into the Legacy stable, which is already incredibly weak as it currently stands. I'm still convinced that Ted DiBiase Jr. is being groomed for a babyface run, especially with his movie coming out sometime soon. As far as the mystery partner is concerned... Jericho has claimed that this new partner and he shared a lot of like traits. Right now, the (possible red-herring?) best guess would be Dolph Ziggler, who is currently feuding with Jericho-foe and Intercontinental champion Rey Mysterio. Another rumor is Matt Hardy, who's not doing anything besides healing from injury himself at this point. I, however, would really like for it to be Christian. It would allow Christian to remain on the ECW roster, and be able to float as 1/2 of the Unified Tag Champs. Christian's face run so far has been fun, however, I think he's always worked better as a heel, and has history with Jericho to boot. Ought to be a good match.

WWE Divas Title Match:

Maryse (c) v Mickie James

Mickie James and Maryse have been feuding since the draft. Mickie's always been fun, while Maryse... is kind of a poor-man's Angelina Love from TNA. She's okay to watch, and as long as she's holding the Diva's title, she'll be relevant... but, I really don't know how the WWE will make us care about her once she loses the title. There's really not a whole lot more to her than the belt. Her character only has an upside as a winner. If she's made to lose, her character changes. I think for this reason (or not, I may be in the minority here), that Maryse will retain here, and possibly move into a program with Gail Kim... while they waste Mickie in multi-diva tags for the next several months until it's her turn for a title program again.

WWE Women's Title Match:

Michelle McCool (c) v Melina

Hadn't seen this one advertised anywhere besides Jim Ross's Blog (haven't watched the go-home episode of SmackDown! yet) and almost thought they decided to leave this one off the show. Last month at the Bash, Michelle McCool became the first lady wrestler to have won both the Women's and Diva's Titles, respectively. Since then, there was a little roster shake-up explained away as (former Raw-owner) Donald Trump having arranged a 15-Superstar inter brand trade. In that trade, McCool lost her sidekick, Alisha Fox to Raw (I try not to read the rumor-mill... okokok, I try to take everything I read in the rumor mill with a grain of salt), because they feared that Fox was taking away some of McCool's heat. Also, in that trade... Gail Kim headed to the Red Show. While both lady's divisions are pretty shallow (no pun intended), SmackDown!'s is, in my own uneducated opinion, especially so. Beside the women involved in this match, I can only think of Natalya Neidhart (a heel) as a credible threat to the title. Eve and Layla, may, in time become contenders (Eve especially has shown much passion of late). All that said, I think McCool will retain, and Melina will chase the title until SD! can build another credible contender to McCool.

There you have it. Notable Superstars NOT involved in this show: Mark Henry, John Morrison & Evan Bourne (and to a lesser extent, Primo Colon). I would assume that Kane and Khali are being held off until SummerSlam (and by the fact that neither of them currently hold any gold. Seems like a fun card that may just be worth a purchase. Personally, I'm waiting for SummerSlam, where I'll probably hit up R.T. O'Sullivans with the guys... but, if I had money to blow, I wouldn't feel all that bad about blowing it on this show. Enjoy.

[Wrestling] WWE DVD Survey Thoughts

2009-07-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

Received an email survey from WWE in regard to possible upcoming DVD's. Figured I'd post my thoughts here as well.

Goldberg - Not too sure I'd be interested in a Goldberg disc without a bio (WWE has been quite inconsistent of late when it comes to whether or not a biography is included in their DVD sets). I would imagine that Goldberg would be involved in this one, as he's reportedly taking part in the upcoming "Rise and Fall of WCW" DVD set. For a bio and a dozen of Goldberg's best matches, I'd definitely be down. Actually a bio + Goldberg v DDP at Halloween Havoc 1998 would suffice to me. Anything additional would be gravy.

Land of the Giants (Best of the Biggest Superstars in WWE History) - Pass. Just got thru a Giant themed month of WWE Classics On Demand. I didn't find a whole lot about it interesting.

Best of War Games - I'd certainly be down for this one. I'd get rid of the "best of" and just include all the War Games matches. To have them all in DVD quality would be great. I imagine there'll be a tough time with the n.W.o v The Four Horsemen event that occurred in 1997 due to Chris Benoit's heavy involvement in the match. If this set were to sell well, I'd love for the WWE to reintroduce the match into rotation.

Brock Lesnar - I loved the first Lesnar DVD they released back in the early 2000's. For an updated bio (with Lesnar involvement if they could swing it), as well as Brock's greatest matches... I'd pick it up for sure. The timing right now probably couldn't be better, as Lesnar's stock is clearly on the rise.

Craziest Moments in WWE History - No. There's only so many times I can watch Steve Austin soak Vince McMahon with the beer-hose. I didn't find that terribly interesting the first time. Unless this is going to be a disc where they discuss silly gimmicks and angles that didn't quite work, I'd take a pass.

Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat - Most of Steamer's best matches are already readily available on DVD (vs. Flair, vs. Savage, vs. Austin). However, for a bio as well as the matches, I think it would be worth the purchase.

Chris Jericho - I'm always wary of DVD sets being released for currently active Superstars. That said, Jericho's nearly 20 year career would warrant a set whenever they see fit to release one. had Jericho not returned to the WWE back in late 2007, I suspect we'd have already seen a career retrospective DVD for Chris Jericho.

Best of the Elimination Chamber - Too soon. Maybe in a couple of years when the chamber hits it's 10-year anniversary.

CM Punk - Way too soon. No.

Sting - If they can hold off until Sting's retirement (or at least his exit from TNA) and secure his involvement, 100 times yes. Set this to release alongside a Sting Hall of Fame induction.

Best of Clash of the Champions - The Clashes were great. Pay per view quality events on Prime time TBS. If they include a documentary discussing the Clashes history, and it's sometimes "strategic placement" versus WWF pay-per-views it'd be a sure buy. I'd rather a documentary and anthology, but, if this is the best we can get, it's cool. Would have been a better release about five years ago when the WWE had more prominent WCW talent (Eric Bischoff, Booker T., DDP etc.) under contract.

Best of RAW Season 1 - If this sets the precedent where we get a "Best of" for each year, I'd definitely pick it up. Add a "Best of Nitro" series, and it's on.

John Morrison - Way too soon. No.

Randy Orton - Still too soon. No.

In Your House events - The IYH events of the mid-late nineties had a lot of hidden gems that I wouldn't mind revisiting in DVD quality (I have many of them that I'd taped off the TV... however, the quality has deteriorated severely). Having the Canadian Stampede on DVD would be incredible.

[Video Game] Final Fantasy IV: The After Years

2009-07-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

I really never thought this game would get released here. I wasn't sure what to expect upon hearing that a mobile phone game was being ported to WiiWare. Luckily, this game has (thus far) managed to relieve me of any doubts I may have had... and has me looking forward to future installments. Final Fantasy IV is probably my second favorite Final Fantasy game (after VI), it is, oddly enough the one I own the most versions of (SNES/PS1/GBA/DS).

As I'd mentioned, FFIV-TAY was originally released on Japanese mobile phones. It was released in thirteen bite-size "chapters", of which, only six were required for the base story (the first three and last three). The WiiWare releases are working a little bit different. The first and last three chapters are being released as bundles for $8.00/800 Wii Points (a savings of 100 Points per, which amounts to a whole dollar). The middle seven are being released at $3.00/300 Wii Points per. There have been many complaints that for the complete "After Years" experience, Wii owners will have to shell out $37.00/3700 Wii Points. A very valid complaint, it does seem a touch overpriced... even for a niche port (though, the argument can certainly be made for the marketability for anything with the Final Fantasy name attached to it). For reasons that are my own, I'm more than happy paying with Wii Points over the next couple of months... I just happened to have a massive stockpile of them waiting to be used.

As of this writing, I have played through the "Main Story" (Chapters 1-3) twice, as well as playing thru Chapters 4-5 and most of 6. I also have 7, but have yet to begin it. I'll be making separate entries for each chapter as I get thru them.

Before moving into the main story of the "Main Story" (where there will be some SPOILERS), there are a few bits and pieces I'd like to address.

I mentioned that I played thru the Main Story twice... which was due to my not paying attention to the save system. After completing the "Main Story" I started up the next Chapter "Rydia's Tale". Upon reaching the first save point in this chapter, I saved OVER my Main Story data (of 7+ hours)... with 7+ minutes of Rydia's Tale. I didn't realize that each chapter required it's own save file, so whether the save system is a bit obtuse, or I am... just a word to the wise... be careful when making your initial save for each new chapter. Once your initial save file is made, it's easy to save without worrying.

There is a moon phase system in this game. The moon has four different phases (Full/New/Waning/Waxing). Each phase affects your attack/magic strength (ex. Full Moon decreases your attack strength). The affected command will be given a different color in your battle window. It may take a few moon phase changes to get used to, however, once you do it's very easy to use the moon phases to your advantage.

The "Main Story" features:

Chapter 1 - Prologue: Return of the Moon

Chapter 2 - Ceodore's Tale: The Last of the Red Wings

Chapter 3 - Kain's Tale: Return of the Dragoon

As the game opens, you are Ceodore, the Son of Final Fantasy IV heroes, Cecil and Rosa and you are on your way to take your final "exam" to become one of Baron's famed Red Wings (airship army, basically). During your time away, there have been some strange goings-on at Castle Baron. Suddenly monsters are attacking inside the castle walls. It appears to be the work of a mysterious girl, who apparently has the ability to summon. Oh, yeah... and the second Moon is suddenly back too.

Ceodore, once officially a Red Wing heads back to Baron with his entourage. Once nearby, the overflow of monsters in the area cause his airship to retreat and ultimately crash land. It is here that Ceodore runs into a "hooded man" without a name who also had business to attend to at Castle Baron. As luck would have it the crash landing occurred on the continent that is home to the town of Mysidia, which is connected to Baron town thru the mystical Devil's Road. This brings you about halfway thru this chapter-bundle. I'll cease with further story spoilers here, as this is where it gets really fun... I'll only say if you're a fan of the original Final Fantasy Iv, you're in for a real treat.

The random battle encounter rate is HIGH. There were places where I literally took ONE step, and walked into another random battle. Luckily the battles are extremely quick, often winnable in one round (especially after meeting up with the Hooded Man). There are no load times to speak of, and no camera tricks during the battle to gum up the works.

The bosses you encounter can really give you a hard time, depending on the phase of the moon. Like I'd said, once you're familiar with the moon system, knowing which phase to face a boss under can make a seemingly impossible battle quite simple.

The graphics are more akin to Final Fantasy VI than IV. They won't blow you away by any means... however, if you're a fan of the 16-bit Final Fantasies, you'll love it. A neat touch by Square-Enix was using the old Final Fantasy IV graphical look for the flashback scenes.

Playable characters for these three chapters are as follows:

Classic - Cecil, Rosa, Cid, Kain

New - Ceodore, Hooded Man

Misc. - Biggs, Wedge, Black Mage, White Mage

There are also cameos by the rest of the classic Final Fantasy IV cast to set the tone for their upcoming chapters.

My second go-round with The After Years clocked in at around five hours, as I played it with far less whimsy, and exploration. I just wanted to power thru it the second time so I could move on to the next chapters (just my OCD, you can play the chapters in any order you see fit). I would definitely recommend this game to any fan of the original. If you'd never played (thru) the original, you're not really going to get anything out of this story-wise, instead, you'll only find a solid, short and confusing Role-Playing Game experience.

More info can be found at the official web-site.

[Wrestling] TNA Victory Road 2009

2009-07-19T14:34:00.000-07:00

I figure it's been awhile since I'd done any wrestling round these part (TNA especially)... so today I'll discuss TNA's Victory Road 2009.

Victory Road has the makings of a really good show... I must admit that my fandom of Total Nonstop Action has grown significantly since I'd last posted about them on the blog. The wrestling is always solid, however, the story lines and in-between wrestling bits do leave me a bit flat.

On with the show:

TNA World Heavyweight Title Match:

Kurt Angle (c) v Mick Foley

This was a match I was really looking forward to about three years back when Angle was "drafted" to the newly restarted ECW brand, and immediately Olympic Slammed (an at-the-time anti-ECW) Foley. I thought they'd have a fun match then, and I think they'll have a fun match now. Growing up, I was a huge Mick Foley fan... of late, my opinion of him has lowered a great bit, but his TNA run has shown that he can still bring it when necessary. Kurt Angle is probably the greatest wrestler in the United States at the moment. I think Kurt will win this one, and move into a feud with Sting that will culminate in another Sting World title victory at this year's Bound For Glory. Various wrestling news sites are stating that Angle has recently suffered a groin tear, which may slow him down a bit. Keeping in mind that Angle once tore his groin completely off the bone at a WWE HOUSE SHOW against Rob Van Dam and continued the match to completion leads me to believe he won't show too much of an injury here.

TNA Legends Title Match:

A.J. Styles (c) v Kevin Nash

If you told me a few years ago that Kevin Nash would be at his better than he'd ever been right now, I'd have told you you were insane. Nash is one of the best characters that TNA has right now. The story goes that Nash wants to win the Legends title in order to be able to charge more at autograph signings. It's just about the most simple storyline, however, I can't think of anybody doing anything like it before. A.J. is always awesome, so I expect a nice outing here. I'd like to see Nash take the title here, and A.J. moved into World title contention. It's almost hard to believe that it's been about a decade since Kevin Nash held any kind of gold.

TNA World Tag Team Title Match:

Beer-Money, Inc. (c) v Booker T/Scott Steiner

Beer-Money is one of the finest tag teams going at the moment, and this title reign is a deserved one. It's been the first vehicle that has me actually caring about Robert Roode... he's come a long way from having Eric Young as an "employee" and feuding with him on and off for nearly a year. In a perfect world, BMI wins this one convincingly and further solidifies themselves as a tag team to be reckoned with... however, a Booker T/Scott Steiner victory could move the Main Even Mafia into a "they have ALL the gold" position that bookers seem to enjoy. I was wrong about this with Legacy at the last WWE pay-per-view I discussed... but, I have a feeling they're going to do this here. The Mafia are inching closer and closer to their one-year anniversary. This could be a way of celebrating it.

Sharmell v Jenna Morasca

I can't believe they're making people PAY to see this one. No idea who will win, now do I really care. This may be a way to sow some dissension into the Main Event Mafia ranks... but, really... I'd rather see this match mysteriously fall off the booking sheets. It'll probably end in a No-contest or a schmozz of some sort.

Sting v Samoa Joe

Or, the match where Taz shows up. Samoa Joe swerved TNA at Slammiversary by handing Kurt Angle the World Heavyweight Title and joining the Main Event Mafia. He's been working with a shadowy "advisor", wearing a black towel over his head when he approaches the ring, and just this past week on iMPACT! he busted out the Tazmission. With TNA all but telling us that Taz is going to show up during this match, it's hard to believe that Samoa Joe won't win this one. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of shape Taz is in, I'm not sure if he's going to try and make a return to the ring. Either way, Taz's appearance here will more than likely overshadow the match itself. I only hope this doesn't lead to an anti-WWE diatribe when it's all said and done. TNA's grown so much that I'd hate to see them fall back to their old bush-league ways.

Christopher Daniels v Matt Morgan

I *almost* left it as just "Daniels", but I couldn't do it. Matt Morgan has been working with the Main Event Mafia of late... almost like a pledge to a fraternity. He's been doing the odd-jobs to prove he's worthy of membership. I've never really been a fan of his, though, I will admit his agility is definitely impressive. Chris Daniels has always been great. If I had to hazard a guess for this one, I'd begrudgingly give the duke to Morgan to continue his monster push.

TNA Women's Knockout Title Match:

Tara (c) v Angelina Love

Tara/Victoria's come a long way since retirement, hasn't she? I wish they hadn't blown her first TNA title victory within her first month with the company. It's similar to the mistake that the WWE made with her back in the day. There's only ONE women's title in TNA, so there's really nowhere else for her to go now. She won the title... now what? You can put the Knockouts in angles left and right, but the title is what it's all about. Her victory should have been built instead of just handed to her. She's far too talented to be treated as a "flavor of the month". It's way too often that TNA is booked as though it's a child's action figure federation the day after Christmas. So much new talent at once... interrupting ongoing feud and being handed titles instead of being built as contenders. I think Tara (which is short for Tarantula... and not "Killer" backwards, thanks Mike Tenay!) will retain here.

IWGP Tag Team Title Match:

Team 3D (c) v The British Invasion (Williams/Magnus)

The British Invasion is a talented tag team, that has unfortunately been thrown together as an "anti-American" troupe with the likes of Kiyoshi and Sheik Abdul Bashir. That can only mean one thing... a feud with, er, America's team... the Dudleys. Haven't been a fan of the Duds in a very long time. I do see them retaining here, as I'm unsure whether or not the IWGP titles would ever change hands on a TNA show/non-New Japan Show. I could be wrong, but it's just a feeling I've got.

Dr. Stevie Richards v Abyss

Stevie Richards recently surfaced in TNA as an abusive Behavioral Therapist for Abyss. Not sure which way this will go... Richards is great in his character, but it just feels like "another Abyss feud that will cause him to fall into something (fire/thumbtacks/a landmine)" that they'll use in their highlight reel. Sadly I see them stretching this feud out a bit longer (as they do with ALL Abyss feuds) so I see Stevie winning due to some shenanigans to further the brutality.

Like I'd mentioned above, it reads like a fun show. It seems as though Bobby Lashley will be on hand, as well. It's worth mentioning, that Pro-Wrestling Torch is reporting that this will be the first TNA Monthly Pay-Per-View without an X-Division style match on the card, which is interesting. I wouldn't be surprised if a Homicide vs. Suicide match was added last minute. I'd consider buying it, if I were in the position to buy anything at the moment. I do look forward to checking out the results throughout the evening. Hopefully my predictions are a little bit more on target than they have been recently... Enjoy the show!

[Wrestling] WWE The Bash 2009 Thoughts

2009-06-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

Well, this weekend will WWE will hold it's Not-So Great, No-Longer American BASH! Pay-per-view. This is just one of the three or four PPVs that are getting name changes this year. It was recently announced that "No Mercy" will now go by the name "Hell in the Cell" and "Cyber Sunday" will be "WWE Annihilation"... a week or so ago, "Unforgiven" (I think it was Unforgiven) was changed to "Breaking Point". I'm not a big fan of name-changes for the sake of it... and I really hope these name changes aren't indicative that the WWE will hold an ENTIRE show full of stipulation matches... I figure Breaking Point will be all submission... Hell in the Cell will feature (at least a few) Cell matches... Annihilation, um... perhaps the matches will end with "fatalities"?

Enough of all that, this time, we've got THE (great american) BASH! Let's get started.

WWE CHAMPIONSHIP

THREE STAGES OF HELL MATCH

Randy Orton (c) v Triple H

Randy Orton just can't seem to catch a break. He's clearly head and shoulders above any heel as a performer and character than anybody on the roster now (and probably for some time), however, he just can't seem to shake Triple H. Every time Orton does something to further establish his heel character, it doesn't take all that long for HHH to put him back in his place. For instance, this week's episode of "Trump" Raw ended with a homoerotic HHH promo on Orton... while he was literally ON (a beaten down) Orton.

Anyhoo, this is a "Three Stages of Hell" match. A stip that hasn't been used in several years. It's best out of three falls. First fall being straight wrestling match, second being a Falls-count-anywhere affair, and the third (if necessary... which we know it will) is a stretcher match. I'd have rather they end it with a cage, but with a "Hell in the Cell" PPV forthcoming, I can see why they didn't.

Despite being paired in matches for quite a while now, I've never liked the in-ring chemistry between these two. I think Randy will win this one, in the third fall. Full predictions, HHH wins 1st fall. Orton cheats to win 2nd fall. The Legacy assists Randy in winning the 3rd fall. This way it'll make it seem that the feud isn't fully "blown off", and can continue into the next 73 weeks of Raw.

WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

CM Punk (c) v Jeff Hardy

This will be a fun match. They've been slow-burning a CM Punk heel turn over the past month or so, that's been a blast to watch. It isn't so often in the WWE where they use subtle nuances to move a story forward.

CM Punk "cashed in" the Money-in-the-Bank contract at the end of the last PPV on newly crowned champ, Jeff Hardy. This was met with a decidedly mixed reaction. From there Punk and Hardy have had several subtle interactions. I think they'll pull the trigger on a full blown Punk heel-turn at this show, and he will retain his title.

INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Chris Jericho (c) v Rey Misterio

Another fun match from the SmackDown! side. Jericho and Rey have had several great matches since they were both drafted over to the blue show. This time, after teasing it for so long, the mask is finally added as a match stip. There are rumors of Misterio putting in his notice, which seems to be a trend of late... I'm not sure if it's to "work" the Internet, or if it holds any validity. Either way, I'd like to see Rey win here. If he ever WAS to lose his mask, I'd rather it be at a MAJOR show (SummerSlam, WrestleMania) than just a one-off PPV.

ECW CHAMPIONSHIP

CHAMPIONSHIP SCRAMBLE MATCH

Tommy Dreamer (c) v Fit Finlay v Jack Swagger v Christian v Mark Henry

Last month Tommy Dreamer was finally able to pull out an ECW title victory (besides the 15 or so minute reign he had in the original ECW). This time it's being put up in a "Scramble Match". This type of match is fun and unpredictable, for the fact that for 15 minutes these five will wrestle. If a Superstar gains a victory in that 15 minutes they become an "Interim Champion", and the match continues. Whoever is the "Interim Champion" when the time limit expires becomes the ECW Champion. This is a truly stacked match up, and I can actually see any of the five walking out with the strap. If I *had* to pick, I'd go with Swagger.

WWE WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP

Melina (c) v Michelle McCool

The deal here is, if McCool wins this match, she'll be the first lady wrestler to have won both the Women's Title, and the... urm, Diva's title. I'd like to see Melina hold on to the title, as I'd rather see Mickie James or Beth Phoenix be the first woman to get the "Both Championships" nod.

GRUDGE MATCH

Dolph Ziggler v The Great Khali

Ziggler has been making great strides since making the move to SmackDown! I had written him off (literally and figuratively... if you'd read my Supplemental Draft Thoughts) and I'm glad to be wrong. I think Ziggler will somehow pull this one out. The loss won't hurt Khali, as I'm sure it won't be a decisive one.

UNIFIED TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

The Colons (c/c) v Priceless/Legacy/Cody and Ted

The Colons had unified the WWE and World tag team titles at WrestleMania 25... err, well... *before* WM25. Since then, they've had a few defences here and there, but, overall... haven't really done anything special. Priceless, on the other hand, spends most episodes of Raw taking beatings by people trying to get at their boss, Randy Orton. So, we've got a really un-special match here, folks. Ted and Cody will take it, just so we can get the image of all three members of [The] Legacy holding championship gold.

SPECIAL GRUDGE MATCH

John Cena v The Miz

The Miz has been "calling out" John Cena for nearly 2 months now. It's actually been the one angle on Monday Night Raw that I've enjoyed since the draft. The Miz has been claiming "victories" over Cena for just about anything. I've never been a Mizanin fan... but, this angle is a winner. Miz is oddly reminiscent of a 2003 era John Cena himself, when he spent some time calling out Brock Lesnar. The Miz could really use a victory here to further push him into the main event full-time.

Worth buying? I lean towards a No here. I'm sure the HHH/Orton affair will take up 45 mins at least... and that's not something I'd pay to see. I'll definitely be keeping up with the results tho.

[Film] L: Change the WorLd

2009-05-04T13:53:00.000-07:00

Had my first theater-going experience in quite some time last week, when the wife and I went to see the third Death Note movie, L: Change the WorLd.

The live-action version of Death Note deviates greatly from the manga/anime... otherwise, this movie couldn't have ever happened. Taking place AFTER the Kira case, L: CtW is the story of L's final 23 days alive, and his final case.

The case in question features a crooked eco-group (go figure) concocting a "virus weapon" to purify the Earth, and save the planet from it's people. It also introduces us to Near and what I believe is our Mello stand in, Maki (who, instead of just looking like a girl, actually IS one).

It was a fun movie, to be sure... especially for a fan of the manga and anime. Though, I believe they could've gotten away with calling it "L does cute and quirky things for two hours" and had the same result. The story I'd written above, was all there was. The plot was very very thin, and only acted as a showcase for L being L... not that that's a bad thing. Ken'ichi Matsuyama was very good as L, and almost came off like a cartoon character himself. The only thing missing was an actual threat to L, and a competent foil.

Spoilers to follow:

Toward the end of the 2nd Death Note movie (Death Note II: The Last Name) L wrote his OWN name into the Death Note, and noted that he would die peacefully of heart failure in 23 days (23 days being as far ahead in the future as the DN can control) so that Light/Kira wouldn't be able to kill him himself. Confused yet? So, in the live-action version, L actually lives long enough to solve the Kira case and beat Light (who dies at the end of the DNII).

That said, taking away L's foil (Light/Kira) and taking him out of any peril (he'd already sealed his fate with the Death Note) made for a rather lackluster outing, as far as suspense goes. The original Death Note cast, Light, Misa and Ryuk probably take up a combined 90 seconds of this 2-hour film.

So, definitely not without any flaws, L was still a fun movie for fans of the series. I was lucky enough to be able to procure a couple of free passes from a local comicbook store, which made it even better.

I believe the DVD is due out this August, and I may pick it up to see how the dub is (the theater showing I went to was subtitled), and just to add it to the collection. It only had 2 theater showings, so the DVD would be the only legal way of checking it out. Plus, with the DVD, you won't have to share your viewing area with squealing fangirls who coo every time L does something cute... unless of course you live with one/are one, then I guess that's cool.

Anyway, recommended for fans of the series, and of L... anybody else, could probably safely skip this one.

[Manga] Naoki Urasawa's MONSTER

2009-05-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

I finished reading Naoki Urasawa's MONSTER late last year. Was probably the only manga I was willing to buy new and at full-price. I've put off writing a "review" of it ever since.

Whenever I attempt to review this manga, I have to keep reeling myself in from gushing over it. Not sure that this will be any different, tho, if I feel it heading in that direction... I'll run for the exit as quick as possible.

Naoki Urasawa's MONSTER is an eighteen volume manga released over the past few years by Viz Media as part of their "Signature" imprint (The Signature imprint is now also home to two other Urasawa titles, PLUTO and 20TH CENTURY BOYS... both of which I have not yet read. The Signature line got a price-hike, and I'm still weathering a rather tumultuous financial storm). Urasawa was also (at least partly) responsible for the anime MASTER KEATON, which I'm waiting to show up used at the local Bookman's.

Getting it out of the way right here, I feel strongly that MONSTER is one of the finest stories to EVER be told in/with sequential art (I've been reading comics for about 25 years too). There's layer upon layer of story and characterization, and to be perfectly honest, I'm not entirely sure that I have the writery ability or talent to sum up ANY of those layers with any kind of precision or brevity (this IS a nearly 3,000 page story after all). I'm definitely the wrong guy to be reviewing this. The characters, besides the main handful are changed out rather often to keep things fresh, and to provide new insight to the story at large. I've never seen a writer have the ability to introduce bit characters every so often, equip them with a FULL back story, and make me care about their well-being. Even the characters that were written to be irritating actually felt whole. By the end of their arc, you knew WHY they acted the way they did, and could either empathize or reaffirm your disinterest.

The MAIN storyline of MONSTER is that of Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a brilliant young Japanese brain surgeon working in Germany (this takes place right around the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall). He is chief surgeon of his department, and engaged to the daughter of the hospital head. Very early on, a decision is made by his superiors that cost a man Tenma was operating on his life (Tenma is pulled off the operation to operate on a local Mayor). Wracked with guilt, he vows to himself never to let himself get pulled away from an operation again. Shortly afterwards, a young boy is rushed to his table with a bullet in his head. Tenma is once again pulled off the surgery to work on a higher profile patient. Tenma refuses, saving the boy's life.

The higher profile patient dies, and Tenma is run thru the wringer by his superiors, his fiancee leaves him, and he is quickly demoted. He sits at the side of the young boy's (who is still comatose) bed, and starts talking to the boy about his troubles. Over the next few days, everybody he had a problem with, was killed. Then, the boy disappears.

Those are the first few chapters, and I'm sure I didn't do them justice. From this point, we flash forward about a decade... and the boy who's life Tenma saved has become a "Monster", a serial killer with a small nearly cult-like following that helps him do his bidding. Tenma is a wanted man, for several murders and is on the run. He's also looking for the boy, now man (his name is Johan) to clear his name.

This is a "seinen" manga, meaning it's marketed for adults (it does feature several mature themes, nothing too outrageous tho). This is probably why it hasn't gotten the kind of lip service as the Death Note's and Bleach's that are marketed to teens-young adults. The fact that there's very little mature anime on TV anymore is probably the reason that this has not yet been licensed for DVD release in North America.

I'm sure I'd ventured into the gushing side above, but it's all good. I'm no professional manga-reviewer anyway. This manga is definitely worth your time, is easily found in bookstores, comic stores, online (they're super cheap at DCBS - Discount Comic Book Service), or for a try-out I'm sure you can procure a few of the chapter scans online all webcomiclike. Just remember, you read right to left.

[Video Games] 25 Reasons to ditch Nintendo - Rebuttal

2009-04-26T20:43:00.000-07:00

I don't usually do things like this... but I was directed over to the bastions of videogame journalism, "gamedaily" by some folks at a forum I sometimes frequent. What follows is a list they'd compiled on 25 reasons why to ditch Nintendo.

25. No special editions

Special Editions are ridiculous. Do we really need collectible "lunchboxes" or "safety deposit boxes" to come with our games? Paying $100 for a game with a bobble-head or Master Chief helmet is absurd. I'd never actually realized Nintendo DIDN'T have these editions, to be honest... but I'm glad they don't.

24. Wii console lacks an Ethernet port

This one I'll give them. I had to purchase a Ethernet hub for the Wii a couple years back, after unsuccessfully trying several times to get the Wii online wirelessly.

23. Little to no customization

Customization? The Wii plays games, has a web-browser, an online store, and several other downloadable channels... not really sure what they mean here.

22. Endless supply of re-released software

Nintendo is guilty of this, to be sure... however, this really could be said about the entire industry.

21. Wii versions of multiplatform games

If you have another console... then buy the version you like. If you only have the Wii, then you don't have much of a choice.

20. Too many games for kids

Really? I remember being a kid... I played videogames. I didn't think that was a bad thing THEN... why should I NOW?

19. No headset

Damn... won't get to hear a bunch of 12 year olds call me a nigger or a faggot while playing Smash Brothers or Mario Kart.

18. PlayStation 2 quality graphics

Weren't the GameCube's graphics considered to be higher in quality than the PS2? Why would the Wii be a downgrade from the 'Cube?

17. Friend codes

Don't see what's so bad about them, to be honest. I guess they'd be a hassle at first, however, it ensures you're only going to play with people you want to.

16. No demos

I'll give'em this one too... I'd been burned on a couple of VC purchases. I'd e down with Wii including a demo system.

15. Grandparents and moms love Nintendo

Heaven forbid.

14. Too many casual games

EVERY system has too many casual days. This is by no means a Nintendo-only problem. Nothing wrong with the "casual" genre either, by the way. I don't think there's anything written where a gamer HAS to own a certain amount of casual games, is there?

13. Cornball gimmicks

EVERYTHING has a gimmick... not Nintendo only.

12. Frustrating add-ons

The only add-on I'm annoyed at with the Wii is the new Motion focusing one... that really should have been perfected by launch.

11. No DVD playback

It seems to play GAMES just fine tho... doesn't it?

10. Less downloadable content

There's TOO MUCH DLC these days... perhaps a system not providing much will actually provide us with FULL GAMES instead of partials.

9. Too expensive

que?

8. Too much waggle

Hmm... that was kind of the jist behind the Wii Remote, wasn't it?

7. Snake oil promises

You didn't REALLY think playing Brain-Age would make you smarter... did you? Guitar Hero doesn't teach you how to play the guitar, either...

6. Wii Music

The music genre is totally out of control now... it was academic that Nintendo would join in.

5. Forget high-def, you get low-def

I'll give them this one.

4. No online community

No online community means that perhaps you could enjoy a single-player experience... instead of selling a half-assed game based on the fact that there's "online multiplayer" to make up the difference.

3. You hate the franchise characters

2. You're a Sony or Microsoft fan boy

1. Video games give you seizures

eh?

I'm guessing the top 3 were tongue-in-cheek to make it look like anyone who gives a rebuttal is simply taking things too seriously. Anyhoo... there ya have it. Coming from a guy who for the most part is a 360 user. Haven't played the Wii in a long while.

If I were to make my own list... I'd probably add:

X. Less games released ONLY to use the waggle gimmick.

Y. Less "party" games (games comprised only of mini-games).

Z. Better support for the NA Virtual Console.

[Wrestling] WWE Backlash 2009

2009-04-24T14:09:00.001-07:00

Even though it feels like WrestleMania just happened, it's time for another WWE PPV. This time it's BACKLASH. One of the more redundant events of the WWE calendar year... primarily used for WrestleMania rematches and rehashes. This is a show I'd like to see fall off the schedule to be honest. Over the past couple of weeks since WrestleMania, we've been treated to not a whole lot besides fallout. WrestleMania, from how I understood it... was supposed to be the "blow-off" event. Where long building feuds reach their climax and give the fans the pay-off they'd been waiting so long to receive. Instead, we're given a paid-show full of rematches and rehashes three-weeks later.

Before moving to the current "monthly pay-per-view" format, over a decade ago... there was something the WWF/E ran after WrestleMania called the "WrestleMania Revenge Tour", a (untelevised) house show circuit featuring the rematches, and TV would move forward into the "new" WWF/E year. Since adopting the monthly PPV format, it's near impossible to book (and advertise) BACKLASH as anything but rematches, or else they'd run the risk of giving away the results of their biggest show of the year.

Anyhoo, that all being said... I'll get it out of the way, and say I won't be watching this one. It's not even worth the $10 they charge to watch it at O'Sullivans. I'll probably read the results as it's ongoing, but that's about it. Let's get on to the matches...

WWE Title Match:

Triple H (c) & Batista & Shane McMahon vs. Randy Orton & Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase

(WrestleMania Match - HHH v Orton)

This one's a bit of an oddity. It's as though the WWE took a page out of the TNA playbook. The rules of this match are - If ANY member of Orton's team pins ANY member of HHH's team, Randy will then become the WWE Champion. With this in place, I can only see Triple H losing the belt without dropping the fall. This bout has discension written all over it, as a member of Legacy could gain the pinfall, but not be awarded the title. With Ted DiBiase's movie (The Marine 2) due to come out in the near future, I see him picking up the pin on either Shane or Batista... which will mean he "won" the WWE title FOR Orton.

World Heavyweight Title:

Last Man Standing Match

John Cena (C) vs. Edge

(WrestleMania Match - Edge v Cena v Big Show)

I really don't see how Edge could lose this match... being as though the recent draft made it so SmackDown! was left without a World title (which is getting really old... for the past 3 drafts one of the shows has been left w/o their title). Cena and Edge generally have great chemistry together, and with the Last Man Standing stipulation added, it should be great fun.

Chris Jericho vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat

(WrestleMania Match - Jericho v Steamboat/Piper/Snuka)

Ricky Steamboat showed the world that he's still better than 75% of the active wrestling world at WrestleMania 25. The next night on Raw, Steamer was part of an incredibly fun 10-Man tag, where again, he stole the show. If I *were* to buy this show, THIS would be the match I'd buy it for. I couldn't hazard a guess for this one, as both endings could work. I'd like to see Steamboat win, just because.

"I Quit" Match

Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy

(WrestleMania Match - Hardy v Hardy)

This match may play out a bit oddly. Recent Internet rumors are claiming that Jeff Hardy has given his notice that he will not be re-upping with the WWE when his contract expires this July. If that IS the case, I figure Matt will win thi match, and pretty much put Jeff out of the picture. Of course, this bit of news could have been released with this timing to swerve the Internet community. I'm really not sure. They've pulled several work-shoot angles with the Hardy's of late... so it wouldn't terribly surprise me if this were another case of that. Rumors aside, I still pick Matt for the win, as it appears as though he's being groomed to be a top heel on Raw.

CM Punk vs. Kane

(WrestleMania Match - Both were in Money in the Bank, though it's not terribly relevant...)

Not even too sure why this match is happening on PPV. Both CM Punk and Kane were recently drafted to SmackDown! from Raw. They had a match on Raw a week later... and somehow that brings us here. CM Punk is currently holding the Money in the Bank briefcase, though I don't think that it's on the line in this match. I expect Punk to win, as he works his way back up the card to be in position to cash in the briefcase at Judgment Day (which I believe is in his hometown of Chicago).

ECW Title Match:

Jack Swagger (c) v Christian

(WrestleMania Match - Whoa! This one's NEW!)

Both of these men have had some excellent offerings in losing efforts of late, Christian in the Money-in-the-Bank Match at WrestleMania, and Swagger in a match against John Cena on Draft Night. The ECW title, as a result has been somewhat elevated to a place of at least modest prestige. I think Christian will win this one in a very hard-fought matchup. This match will be great for both men, as well as the title.

Well, that's all they've announced for this show as of this writing. With SmackDown! still to air tonight, there may be more. There's also a "Khali Kiss-cam" bit set to happen between the Great Khali and Santina Marella. This bit is one I'd usually deride, though with Khali and Santino being on top of their comedic game, it could be rather humorous.

All in all, a skippable show, in my opinion. Nothing we won't be able to see elsewhere, save Jericho/Steamboat. I guess we'll see how it pans out.

[Et-Cetera] Seperated at Birth?

2009-04-17T22:29:00.000-07:00

I've recently began reading/watching Ranma 1/2... and I've hit the chapter where the piglet, P-Chan shows up. I had to instantly do a double-take, as he seemed so similar to my puglet, Oscar. They even run the same way.

[Monologue] Fight Night Afternoon - Page 5

2009-04-17T21:53:00.000-07:00

Here's our senses-shattering conclusion. Gluttons for punishment can read this monologue in full here.

“My buddy, Joe, who was watching the fight with James and I yelled for them to do something. Chuck looked at Joe and laughed. That’s when Brian made his move.”

“Brian started up with what we called ‘Fat Man Offense’, which consisted of smothering tactics… headlocks and the like.”

“Chuck delivered an uppercut-like punch to Brian… his watch scraped across Brian’s face, cutting him open all across the bridge of his nose.”

“Brian fell back, releasing the headlock… but while still holding a handful of Chuck’s Bugle Boy shirt… tearing it as he fell.”

“A few seconds later, Chuck and Brian looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders, and headed back up the hill. The ‘fight’ was over.”

“We all knew that Chuck won… but Brian contested the victory, due to Chuck wearing his watch during the fight. Chuck didn’t care what Brian thought… he knew he’d won.”

“For the rest of the week, Brian seemed to tell anybody who’d listen about Chuck’s cheating ways… trying to convince everybody that he’d actually won the fight. Chuck didn’t really contest anything Brian said. He didn’t care.”

“So, who’s the real winner here? If we’re talking about the fight… I’d have to say Chuck. If we’re talking about the situation…”

“Well, I’d have to say me. Everybody had forgotten about the betting pool, and I was left with a cool eight bucks in nickels and dimes in my pocket.”

[Wrestling] WWE Supplemental Draft 2009 Thoughts (4 of 4)

2009-04-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

The final 6. To read the entire 24 uninterrupted, go here.

19 - From RAW to SD! - JTG: Ugh. This guy seems to be able to go in the ring... which is why I was hoping they'd keep Shad and JTG apart during this draft. I just hope SmackDown! ring announcer, Justin Roberts doesn't try to talk street when introducing them.

20 - From RAW to SD! - Dolph Ziggler: Can't seem to get behind this guy. Don't like the gimmick... it's based on some stupid "locker room law" where new guys have to go up to all the veterans and introduce themselves... therefore, Ziggler is constantly extending his hand and introducing himself. That's it. That's his entire character. No depth, no personality... just that. Hopefully something good will come out of this move, I'd like to be proven wrong on this one.

21 - From SD! to RAW - The Brian Kendrick: I don't like this move. TBK started out fairly strong on SmackDown! last year... he was even an "Interim" WWE Champion. He's petered out a bit since then... I felt with the change of SmackDown! roster, he would have done well remaining there. I think he'll find himself lost in the shuffle on the already over-crowded Raw.

22 - From RAW to SD! - Charlie Haas: Charlie's latest gimmick is that of a gimmick-homage... he impersonates other wrestlers. It seemed to get him over pretty well when the folks in charge were behind it. He hasn't been used on Raw in months... but he's far too talented to simply let go. Hopefully the not as top heavy SmackDown! locker room will be a good place for him... as he would probably continue not to be showcased if he remained on Raw.

23 - From SD! to ECW - Hurricane Helms: Great move. Helms recently returned from injury with little fanfare. Moving over to ECW and putting him near the top of that card should help him in the long run.

24 - From ECW or SD! to RAW - Brie Bella: The other Bella twin... you can pretty much read the entry for Nikki, and just write Brie's name in her place.

So, there you have it... the 2009 WWE Supplemental Draft. It wasn't terribly exciting, but the Supp-Drafts very rarely are. It will be interesting to see which of these 24 actually make something of the change in scenery... and which won't even be given the opportunity before being let go. I hope with WWE SuperStars on WGN starting, they'll limit the inter-branded matches to that show. It wasn't too long ago, where the brand split was enforced, and rather rigidly at that. When I actually get excited to see a SmackDown! wrestler show up on Raw, you're doing something right. Now, it seems as though wrestlers float to whichever show they wanna stick him/her on.

Anyhoo, thanks for reading... lemme know if you want me to continue doing wrestling entries with any sort of regularity... or if I should save it for WrestleMania.

Thanks again!

[Wrestling] WWE Supplemental Draft 2009 Thoughts (3 of 4)

2009-04-16T21:40:00.000-07:00

We're past the halfway point... let's continue.

13 - From ECW to RAW - Hornswaggle: This one's a bit bizarre to say the least. I'm not really sure what they can do with this guy without having his storyline-father, Fit Finlay involved. I can't remember ever being entertained by this character on it's own. Hell, I don't like him much even as part of an act. The silver lining is not lost on me though... maybe Finlay can re-find his more heelish side losing the comedy portion of his bit. The fact that we'll be subjected to Hornswaggle-Hijinks every Monday Night makes me a bit queasy.

14 - From SD! to ECW - DH Smith: The son of the late British Bulldog, Davey Boy Smith has been shuffled from brand to brand over the past couple of years, without making much of an impact (I actually had to be reminded that he was *technically* part of the SmackDown! roster, as he'd never made an actual TV appearance for the brand). Hopefully this means he'll be teaming up with fellow-Hart/Stampede-type Tyson Kidd in ECW.

15 - From ECW to SD! - John Morrison: Great move! Morrison's pretty much done everything he can in the ECW, and moving him to SmackDown! instead of Raw is the right way to go, in my opinion. The Morrison character has been (technically) an ECW original (Morrison originally went as Johnny Nitro... and is a multi-time former Intercontinental Champion), working his way from the C-Show to the B-Show instead of straight to Raw will assist him tremendously in establishing himself. A slow build to the main event is refreshing in these days of 24 year old green World Champions.

16 - From SD! to RAW - Carlito Colon: Okay, so I guess they're not splitting up the Unified tag champions... however, I'm still concerned with whether or not the champions are going to float between shows and defend against the top teams throughout the WWE. Maybe they'll be relegated to the new tri-branded show, WWE Superstars on WGN.

17 - From SD! to ECW - Nayalya Neidhart: The daughter of Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, and girlfriend of Tyson Kidd, Natalya should do just fine for herself in ECW... she has appeared there almost weekly since Kidd's debut as his valet. Putting her with Tyson Kidd and DH Smith seems a natural choice.

18 - From SD! to RAW - Festus: At first, I'll admit, I didn't dig the gimmick. It's since grown on me. It's silly, of course... but not enough things in wrestling these days are. Not sure how they'll work Festus as a solo act. I figured if they'd split this team up, they would have brought Jesse over to Raw, to play off of The Legacy faction, as Jesse is the son of the late Fabulous Freebird, Terry Gordy. This move could be interesting, though, I for whatever reason, see Festus moving over to another tag team situation... probably with Jamie Noble, who will be taking advantage of Festus's size and bell-ring induced fury.

One more to go, I'll try to have it up by morning...

[Monologue] Fight Night Afternoon - Page 4

2009-04-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

“That weekend, Brian decided he wanted to hang out with me to prepare. He suddenly came up with a whole bunch of guidelines that he wanted followed for the fight. He didn’t want to be sued if he permanently injured Chuck, he didn’t want to have to pay for new clothes if any clothes are ruined, he didn’t want any hitting in the face, stuff like that. Worse yet, he wanted Chuck to sign documents to attest that he’d follow these ridiculous rules.”

“I called Chuck and told him about Brian’s new rules, and contrary to Brian’s mindset… the rules only seemed to egg Chuck on. He told me he’d sign whatever Brian wanted him to, just as long as the fight happened. Brian decided to take Chuck at his word, and did not force him to sign anything.”

“Not much more of note happened between that weekend and the day of the fight. Just a whole bunch of ego stroking for Brian, so he wouldn’t pull out at the last moment.”

“The day of the fight wasn’t any different than any other day… I still walked to some classes with Brian, and some with Chuck (who was wearing his Bugle Boy shirt for shits and giggles). The subject of the fight really didn’t come up.”

“We decided the fight would take place in the sump by my old house on Riverdale. My house was centrally located among the group of friends that were to attend the fight, plus the sump in and of itself seemed perfect for the fight.”

“We all took my bus home from school that day. Again, the subject of the fight really didn’t come up. Brian was completely silent the entire trip, but we were all as talkative as ever.”

“I’ll never forget the image of Brian psyching himself up for the fight. He was sitting next to the window facing straight ahead. He muttered something, then proceeded to punch his own hand over and over and over again.”

“As we approached my stop… some douche-bag on the bus started a ‘fight, fight’ chant.”

“We walked the few blocks to my house to drop off our bags, and grab a quick bite to eat. Brian declined to eat anything.”

“There were five of us, including Chuck and Brian. We headed towards the sump. I remember we saw our five shadows sprawling across the street."

“We arrived at the sump, and the three spectators sat down. Chuck and Brian headed down towards the pit of the sump and prepared for battle.”

“They stared at each other for a good minute or two… but didn’t speak.”

ok, just one day of this left...

[Wrestling] WWE Supplemental Draft 2009 Thoughts (2 of 4)

2009-04-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

Carrying on with picks 7 thru 12.

7 - From ECW or SD! to RAW - Nikki Bella: One of the Bella twins who I'm actually not entirely sure WHICH show she's coming from... she has been prominently featured on both ECW and SD! for the past several months alongside her sister, the Colons and the team of Mike Mizanin and John Morrison. Regardless, she'll be more fodder for multi-woman tag matches each week on RAW.

8 - From RAW to SD! - Candice Michelle: Another female wrestler being moved. About a year or so back, Candice was showing incredible amounts of improvement in the ring, unfortunately she was sidelined with an injury. Upon her return, she seemed a lot more self-aware in the ring, leading to a sloppier style. The taped, SmackDown! broadcast should be a welcome change for her rather than the live Monday Night Raw. She should do well there.

9 - From SD! to ECW - Zack Ryder: One of the indistinguishable Edgeheads leaving behind the other indistinguishable Edgehead should be a great boon to both of their careers. I honestly couldn't tell you which one this is. Hopefully this change will fix that.

10 - From SD! to RAW - Chavo Guerrero: Well *somebody* has to push new Raw General Manager, Vicki Guerrero's wheelchair... may as well be Chavo. I see him playing a similar role as Jamie Noble... a lower-midcard heel hurdle for an up and coming babyface.

11 - From ECW to SD! - Ricky Ortiz: This new face should help freshen up the SD! midcard a decent amount. Hopefully this time around the announce team will know who he is. I think he could be over pretty well as a fan-pandering heel. He has a "towel waving" fan-gimmick at the moment (like the Pittsburgh Steelers, kinda) which doesn't look like it's doing all that well... I'd like to see him acting heelish and still thinking the fans are behind him.

12 - From RAW to SD! - Layla: Well, she wasn't doing too much for William Regal, who she had been seconding on Raw. I think she'll have a better chance to flourish on SmackDown! rather than being stuck in the multi-woman tag matches that seem to occupy the Raw women's division.

More to come...

[Wrestling] WWE Supplemental Draft 2009 Thoughts (1 of 4)

2009-04-16T01:13:00.000-07:00

Here's another Wrestling Related entry... I was going to wait, however, it's pretty topical as the Supplemental portion of the 2009 Draft was held earlier today/yesterday (Noon, est. - Wednesday).

I'm not sure if they're kayfabing the respective General Managers "choosing" the draftees, or if it's straight "lottery" much like the televised portion from this past Monday Night Raw.

Anyhoo... on to the picks... there are 24 in total. This post will tackle the first 6.

1 - From SmackDown! (SD!) to RAW - Mr. Kennedy: Last I'd heard, he was contemplating retirement. He seems to be a guy who gets drafted every year... gets injured early into his push, and remains on the sidelines until the next draft. I would have rather seen him go to ECW, to maybe take on a "Franchise" type character, like Shane Douglas in the original.

2 - From RAW to SD! - Shad Gaspard: I think this guy could be big on his own. He has an impressive and imposing size... plus he doesn't make the ridiculous faces his Cryme Tyme partner does. Best of all, I won't have to hear (Raw ring announcer) Lillian Garcia introduce "Crahhhhm Tahhhm" in her faux "street".

3 - From ECW to SD! - Alicia Fox: No real thoughts on this one... it's too bad they're seperating her from her act's male counterpart, DJ Gabriel (a dancing gimmick, oddly reminiscent of WCW's Alex Wright).

4 - From SD! to RAW - Primo Colon: This one's confusing, as Primo (along with his brother Carlito) just recently (WM25) unified the World Tag Team titles... which I assumed meant they would float from show to show, much like the "Undisputed World Champion" did in the early days of the brand-split. I'll have to wait a bit before making any judgment on this one.

5 - From RAW to SD! - Mike Knox: With the Big Show moving over to Raw, it makes sense to move the smaller "monster" character to the other show. The change should do him some good... his last several showings on Raw have been jobs to Rey Misterio.

6 - From SD! to ECW - Ezekial Jackson: I don't really like this one. As the bodyguard for The Brian Kendrick, Jackson served a purpose. In ECW, I really can't see him reaping any benefits. His appeal is that he's a large bodyguard type character... in ECW he'll be sharing TV time with Mark Henry and the recently drafted Vladimir Koslov. I don't see him measuring up, no pun intended.

Will continue tomorrow.

[Monologue] Fight Night Afternoon - Page 3

2009-04-16T00:14:00.001-07:00

More of this terrible-tale... only 2 more days of it... then we can get back to my regular low-quality entries.

“My two pals began sniping at one another like never before. The insults and attacks were fiercer than ever before… and it was about to hit the boiling point.”

“Chuck’s final insult came down… something along the lines of ‘nobody likes you, we only put up with you because we feel bad for you.’”

“If that weren’t bad enough, it turned out some random ho-bag was walking by with others of her kind. She overheard what Chuck had said, and decided it would be funny to start molesting Brian’s oversized body right there in the middle of a busy hallway. She kept saying ‘I like you big boy.’ Man, hindsight makes me feel like shit for Brian, but, at that moment, I think Chuck and I literally fell on the floor we were laughing so hard.”

“That’s when it happened. Brian pushed the gutter-trash off of him, and got in Chuck’s face… his own face, blood red with some sort of combination of embarrassment and rage. With his eyes welling up and fists clenched… he called Chuck out.”

“An audible (and totally sarcastic) ‘ooooooh’ rang through the crowded hall.”

“Brian wasn’t prepared for what happened next, and to be perfectly honest… neither was I… A smile crept its way across Chuck’s face. Almost a sinister smile. Chuck looked Brian right in the eyes and said, ‘I’ve waited nearly four years for the opportunity to kick your fat ass!’”

“Brian’s head skunked back into his neck… the look on his face was absolutely priceless. It was as though he’d just seen his whole life flash before him. I know I should’ve felt bad… and honestly, I think a part of me did. Unfortunately, not enough to actually do anything to stop the proceedings.”

“The fight was set for sometime the following week… for argument’s sake… let’s say this was Thursday, and the fight was happening the following Wednesday. It gave us little under a week to prepare.”

“Much to my surprise, the next morning almost the entire class knew about the upcoming fight. I think this may have been the only time my little group of friends was the topic of conversation… and not being portrayed in a (totally) loser way.”

“I decided to test the waters a bit… and see what everybody thought the outcome would be. Before I knew it I had become a one-man betting facility. Taking nickel and dime bets… literally.”

"Astonishingly enough, at least to me... the overwhelming consensus was that Brian would win this fight handedly. Chuck did not stand a chance. I reported this news to Brian, who I believe by this point had actually also convinced himself that he could and would beat Chuck.”

“When I told Chuck the results of the bet, he only laughed. Strange thing… I don’t think I’d ever seen Chuck acting calmer than he did in the time leading up to the fight.”

[Monologue] Fight Night Afternoon - Page 2

2009-04-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

Man, the more I read this one, the more I'm convinced it's utter and complete garbage. I hate leaving things undone, so I'll continue the serial... it's only 5 parts... we're almost halfway there.

“Dude was taken aback… he didn’t know what to say. He looked as though he was going to backpedal and actually quit his bitchin’ about Chuck.”

“You’d think I’d be happy by this. Ya’ know, the whole point of this fight was to stifle the incessant bitching between these two, so that we may have a day where we could all hang out and not have any friction.”

“But…”

“By this point, I was kinda giddy over seeing a fight.”

“I made sure we walked by another close friend of mine… James.”

“We approached James (who was already “in” on the fight), and I asked if he thought Brian could kick Chuck’s ass. James wholeheartedly replied in the affirmative.”

“Brian started to think things over… and decided he could kick Chuck’s ass.”

“And, so began… the endgame of the “Bugle Boy – Red Dog War”.”

“Oh… yeah. That. As silly as this may sound, a large amount of reasoning for this squabble is predicated on t-shirts that either combatant wore regularly.”

“Yeah… t-shirts. Ya’ see, every so often Chuck would wear his Bugle Boy shirt, and Brian would wear his one of his Red Dog Beer shirts. So… Brian called Chuck, Bugle Boy… and Chuck (along with most of our class, as it turned out) called Brian, Red Dog.”

"The day went on and morning became afternoon. James and I kept a close eye on both would-be combatants. Chuck was still unaware that his manhood was about to be challenged.”

“At the end of the day, we ran into Chuck. This is one part I remember pretty vividly.”

“We were standing outside my Spanish class, which was nearby Brian’s locker. Chuck had a class right next door to mine, so we usually met up after bell.”

“We passed by Brian’s locker, where Brian was haphazardly loading his backpack, and trying to get outta dodge before we got there… unfortunately for him, I sorta steered us into his path.”

“I struck up a conversation for all three of us to take part in, knowing full well, the fuse was now lit and the only thing stopping this whole mess from combusting was the my standing in between them as we spoke.”

“That’s when the situation took on a life of its own.”

[Monologue] Fight Night Afternoon, Page 1

2009-04-13T22:42:00.000-07:00

I wrote this during a time where I was contemplating becoming a monologue-ist of sorts... like a less-witty, less-interesting Spalding Gray.

I had written something called "The Canyon Lake Monologue", which had received a fair amount of praise... something I wasn't terribly accustomed to. So, for the next several weeks, I wracked my brain for other semi-interesting (in my most biased opinion) experiences that I could turn into a half-hearted monologue.

One of those stories is the one I'm about to serialize here. It's called "Fight Night Afternoon", and was to serve both as shtick in my monologuing bit... as well as the premise for the back-up strip for my never-to-be Ace of Spades Comics Annual #1.

Anyhoo, please enjoy. I've noticed a higher bit of traffic here of late, so any comments are welcome.

Fight-Night Afternoon

Chris Tinkler

“I ever tell you about the time Chuck and Brian fought?”

“Oh, this is a funny story.”

“Well, you know Brian and Chuck were pretty good friends of mine.”

“But, they never got along real well.”

“I could be totally egotistical and play it off like they were fighting over my attention, but I’ll just say they didn’t get along.”

“Chuck and Brian would constantly bicker if left in the same room together… and when alone, all they’d do is bitch and moan about one another.”

“After a couple years of this, I just got sick of it.”

“I decided to concoct a fight between the two. Besides being something that would entertain the rest of my small circle of friends, maybe it would finally shut the two of them up.”

“I really couldn’t plant any seeds in Chuck’s head… Chuck was more athletically fit than Brian, and really had nothing to gain from kicking his ass. He’d just be the guy beating up the fat kid.”

“So, I decided that I had to work it through Brian.”

“Brian was brought up in a military family. Now, don’t get me wrong, I admire the will and courage of anybody who serves their country. I just can’t stand the whole “I can kick your ass because I’m military” tough guy, meathead, macho-mindset. Luckily, for this story… that was the way Brian was brought up.”

“Brian was by no means in any kind of shape to compete in any kind of physical activity. He was a fair bit overweight, and the type’a guy that would have to catch his breath after eating.”

“One day, I think it was late in the week… because there was a weekend almost right after it… I was walking to class with Brian, and he was absolutely unhinged by some awful thing Chuck did or said to him. I can’t remember what it was, regardless, it’s not pertinent to the story’s outcome.”

“During one of his many breaks to catch his breath… I simply said… ‘Call him out.’”

[Writing] Marketing 101

2009-04-08T17:33:00.000-07:00

Can anyone help a brotha out... having a helluva time with the marketing of the novel... just seem to be hitting brick wall after brick wall.

Anybody have any suggestions?

Much appreciated.

[Wrestling] WrestleMania 25 Thoughts

2009-04-07T22:58:00.001-07:00

I've been reading a lot about this event, as I'm wont to do... and I've noticed that this show has been overwhelmingly panned by the critics. It's simple to see why... as this is not only WrestleMania... the biggest show of the year, but it's the twenty-fifth installment of the biggest show of the year.

The show opened pretty hot with the Money in the Bank ladder match. In something which would become contagious throughout the night, all the competitors seemed to be about 1/2" off their marks at all times. Nothing *too* bad, but being a hair or two off was pretty noticeable. The Superstars must've been exta nervous for this big show. CM Punk won, which was met by a mixed reaction both by the fans in attendance and the fans at the bar I was watching the show at. I was pulling for Christian, it seemed as tho he was the favorite going in... pop-wise if nothing else. I do think this match *made* Kofi Kingston tho... he may benefit more by losing this match, than CM Punk will benefit by winning it.

For the next 3 1/2 hours, we were "treated" to a Kid Rock concert. Maybe they figured the longer the concert went, the more likely it would end when Kid Rock was once again relevant.

The women's battle royal was next (the women entered the ring without introductions or fan-fare during Kid Rock. It was pathetic. All of the women looked alike, and you couldn't tell who was being eliminated. A cross-dressed Santino Marella won. Which, I'll admit, was pretty funny. I was, however, hoping for a Beth Phoenix/Trish Stratus ending to set up a one-off match later down the line... it turns out Trish didn't even show up.

Jericho vs. the Legends was surprisingly good. The Steamboat segment, anyway... Piper was Piper, and Snuka was pretty embarassing. I was watching the show with a lapsed fan who couldn't believe Snuka was still alive, let alone competing at the biggest show of the year. This match made me believe that, should he desire it, Steamboat could probably rejoin the active roster, and outclass and outwork much of the existing roster. The Mickey Rourke ending was contrived, but necessary to pay off the angle.

The Hardy match was pretty good, only hurt by the Extreme Rules tag... I would have rather this match be more about wrestling oneupsmanship, rather than being a brawl... tho, that is what the story called for. I've read online that this match would've been better served drawing more from Bret/Owen than Axl/Ian... and I couldn't agree more.

JBL/Rey was short but fun. Wasn't too impressed with Rey's comicbook get-up this year (Dark Knight version of the Joker), I was hoping for Rorschach, personally.

Undertaker/HBK was not surprisingly, the match of the night. Possibly one of the matches of the year. The ending, on paper, was never in doubt... tho, there were moments where I thought it could go either way. Both men worked especially hard, especially the Undertaker, who nearly killed himself doing his trademark WrestleMania plancha. Great match. Made me feel bad for the rest of the show for having to follow it.

The World title match was predictable, but a lot better than it had any right to be. Cena's feat of strength at the end was incredible (holding both the Big Show and Edge in a fireman's carry... probably about 700 lbs.).

The main event... well... sucked. If this match was the main event of a Monday Night Raw, it would've been disappointing, much less main eventing the biggest show of the year. The crowd, both in Houston and the bar I was at, was dead... and this match didn't do anything to wake us up. Very anti-climactic ending to a decent-at-best show. This match killed most of the heat that the feud had... which is hard to excuse, given the end result.

I don't like "grading" shows, but if I had to, I'd give it a B-... decent, but really, for WrestleMania, it should be better. This is probably in the bottom 5 for all WrestleManias.

[Comics] Hunter Green Lettering

2009-04-06T23:25:00.000-07:00

Below you'll find a lettering gig I did for Surprising Comics, run by good pal, Mark Davis who also wrote the story. The art is by his Son, Chuck Davis, who as you can tell is quite a promising young talent.

The Surprising Comics web-site is already featuring this page, so I figure it's cool to go ahead and post it here.

I'd like to thank Mark for the gig, it was a lot of fun... and I look forward to much more!

Check out the Surprising Comics website at: www.surprisingcomics.com

[Et-Cetera] Bloggiversary

2009-04-06T17:55:00.000-07:00

Heyyy, howsabout that... this (well, yesterday) marks my two-year bloggiversary. Hard to believe it's already been that long.

Maybe I'll need a new tagline...

"Boring potential readers for over 2 years!"

[Wrestling] WWE WrestleMania 25

2009-04-04T17:15:00.000-07:00

Or WrestleMania 25th Anniversary, for whatever reason they're calling it that... kinda reminiscent of the whole "Is the new millennium in 2000 or 2001?" from a decade or so back. Will be checking this out for the third year in a row at R.T. O'Sullivan's with Rich and Trench.

Anyhoo, on to the show:

25-Women Battle Royal:

This may be one of the matches I'm most looking forward to... not for any of the obvious reasons, mind you. It's just that they've mentioned that several lady wrestlers from the past are going to be competing, and I'm a sucker for wrestling nostalgia. It's unfortunate that the only match on the show that will evoke any nostalgia is a throw-away women's battle royal (the Jericho v Legends match notwithstanding)... but, what can ya do? I figure that Beth Phoenix will win this one, maybe eliminating a returning (not full-time) Trish Stratus last to set-up some sort of future program between the two. I figure Santino Marella will work his way into this one... possibly Goldust too.

Handicap Match

Chris Jericho v Roddy Piper/Jimmy Snuka/Ricky Steamboat

Wow... who'dathunk in 2009 we'd be talking about this kind of match? This was a match who's build-up I enjoyed immensely. Jericho's mic-work throughout the past couple of months really built this one nicely... the result, however, has to be seen as a disappointment. With people thinking that Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Jerry Lawler or even Mickey Rourke would stand-up for the legends... to be left with Piper, Snuka and Steamboat is definitely a let-down. I figure this one will end in a feel-good moment for the legends. Jericho probably getting stunnered by a visiting Stone Cold... probably getting socked by Mickey Rourke... the match, however, I can't see being very good.

Tag-Title Unification Lumberjack Match

Miz N' Morrison (Raw Tag Champs) v The Colons (SD! Tag Champs)

This match was a great idea. Seriously... with as flimsy as the "brand split" is at this point... there's really no need for redundant titles. It's nice to see that this is somewhat being realized with the elimination/absorption of one of the tag titles. I haven't followed this feud all that well, but what little I did see lead me to believe that MNM should take this one. Ought to be a fun match to boot with the Lumberjacks.

Undertaker v Shawn Michaels

Undertaker will take this one... this could be match of the night. Really looking forward to it. The build has been exceptional.

JBL (IC Champ) v Rey Misterio

I really have no prediction for this one... at least none that I'd put any amount of money on. Misterio pinned JBL in a non-title match on Raw last week... wrestling logic states whoever has the upper-hand on the "go-home" episode of TV doesn't win the match on PPV. I really don't see JBL winning, especially with the rumors of his re-retirement (with Tazz leaving the WWE & SmackDown! to add that JBL may be making a return to the booth). There's also the bit where Bradshaw has claimed that he will do something historic at the show... not too sure. IF JBL pulls out a victory, perhaps his "historic moment" will be retiring as champion?

Money in the Bank Ladder Match

CM Punk v Fit Finlay v Mark Henry v Kane v MVP v Shelton Benjamin v Kofi Kingston v Christian

The WWE did such a good job with this one, that I don't even care who wins. These 8 performers have been thrown into so many multi-man tags and battle royals this past month that I'm tired of the entire thing. If I had to choose a winner, I'd say Christian... though, I think I'd rather MVP take it.

Extreme Rules Match

Matt Hardy v Jeff Hardy

If you'd have asked me three months ago how this angle would have panned out I'd have fantasy-booked Edge & Christian v The Hardy Boys in some sort of gimmick tag. When Jeff Hardy became WWE champion a few months ago he suddenly became the target of a bunch of mystery attacks. This was while Hardy was feuding with Edge. With the news that Christian was headed back to WWE, naturally I (and many others) thought that he would be the assailant. Whether or not that was the originally the plan... I don't know... once the rumors started to circulate, the WWE decided to make it as though Jeff's brother Matt was behind the whole thing. Playing on the Hart Brothers feud from 15 years back, this angle featured Matt attempting to goad a hesitant Jeff into a match, much like Owen did Bret in the mid-nineties. He was finally able to after commenting that he may have been responsible for the fire at Jeff's house a year earlier that cost Jeff his dog. All in all, this feud has brewed pretty nicely, though a bit too over dramatized for my tastes. Not too sure how the match will go quality wise, the last time the Hardys feuded it wasn't all that pretty. I expect Jeff to win this one. Possibly in a way to set up a gimmick match between the two at Backlash.

WWE Title Match

Triple H (WWE Champ) v Randy Orton

Despite all the attempts to make Triple H a sympathetic character in this one, I'm still rooting for Orton. Over the past several months Randy has put Triple H thru the ringer emotionally and physically. Even to the point where HHH was outed as a McMahon family member... and I still couldn't care less for him. Orton has been fantastic in his character evolution as a slimy heel. I fear that this one will end the show, and Triple H will win up victorious.

World Title Match

Edge (World Champ) v John Cena v The Big Show

Let's talk about bad buildup. A love triangle with Vicki Guerrero, Edge and the Big Show revealed to the world by John Cena. That's it. Really... that's the story they've been going with for the past 6 weeks. It hasn't been nearly as entertaining as the WWE thinks it's been. This is too bad, as the 3 men involved deserve much better than this. I figure Cena will take this one.

Anyways... Enjoy the show if you're gonna be checking it out. Despite all my complaints, WrestleMania is very rarely a let-down.

[Comics] The LandMark Primer 2008 - Page 4

2009-04-04T14:52:00.000-07:00

PAGE 4

PANEL 1

This panel features SKYSCRAPER: THE TOWERING HERO, THE HIGH FLYIN’ CARDINAL and the AMERICAN GUARD… all standing in heroic poses in front of a draping American flag.

1. CAPTION/TODD: “Not that there’s MUCH trouble in this old town… but, just incase there is, we’re covered.”

2. TODD: “There’s SKYSCRAPER. A hero that wears the shiniest silver armor you’d ever seen. He’s flown right overhead a few times… it’s amazing!”

3. TODD: “There’s CARDINAL. He was around a long time ago, but disappeared… he’s only recently return to duty.”

4. TODD: “Can’t forget about the American Guard.”

5. TODD: “He’s a guy even the OTHER heroes look up to.”

PANEL 2

The cab pulls up a narrowing trail on a hill leading to the Observatory.

6. MAN: “Thank you for the tour.”

7. TODD: “Oh was my pleasure.”

PANEL 3

Back inside the cab, TODD is leaning back looking into the back seat.

8. TODD: “This is my home… and I love it. I could drive these roads and tell these stories all the time.”

9. TODD: “Guess that’s why I’m a cabbie, heh.”

PANEL 4

The MAN leans forward as to tell TODD a secret.

10. MAN: “Here’s another story you can tell… I’m here to investigate the CROP CIRCLES.”

PANEL 5

TODD’s eyes widen.

11. TODD: “Well, I’ll be. What DOESN’T this town have?”

END

___________________________________________________

and, well... there ya have it. A quick 'n dirty introduction to the LandMark Comics Universe... This four-page script was written as a way to make the stories and characters familiar to new readers, as well as a way to cohesively tie all of the characters who had appeared in LandMark publications together.

It was a lot of fun to write, probably by it's simplicity. Once I figured out what I wanted to do, the entire script pretty much wrote itself.

If anyone's interested in reading it in one "go", instead've post by post... I've uploaded the script in it's entirety to my oft-neglected LiveJournal (which is more of a pain-in-the-ass to navigate and post to than I remember... I suppose of late I've been spoiled by the ease in using Blogger and Facebook).

Anyhoo... here's the link:

http://acecomics.livejournal.com/1823.html

Enjoy!

[Comics] Message Board Link

2009-04-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

Several months ago I had mentioned that I would post a link to Tommy Grover's Comics web-site/store/message board... and unfortunately forgot to follow thru.

Tommy is the artist for the "Maniacal Manster" story I had written for Surprising Comics. I've really dug all the art I've seen from him, and he's given great input on the direction of the story... this is one'a those times where I think I've been away from comics too long to properly write them (or at least adhere to paginal restictions).

Anyhoo... Anyone interested in comics, or just shooting the breeze, please cleck out:

http://gowaltrip.proboards.com/index.cgi?

http://www.comiccrack.com/

Thanks!

[Comics] The LandMark Primer 2008 - Page 3

2009-04-04T00:36:00.000-07:00

PAGE 3

PANEL 1

The cab is at a red light; TODD is holding his right wrist with his left hand.

1. TODD: “Yeah… there’s something called a Dancing Human Hand there.”

2. TODD: “Just dances all by itself…”

3. MAN: “That’s interesting.”

PANEL 2

The cab is passing a shabby looking brownstone building with election style posters plastered on it.

4. TODD: “You heard of Abe Costello, right?”

5. MAN: “He ran for office with Jonathan Honeycutt in the last election.”

6. TODD: “He sure did… this is where he lives.”

7. MAN: “Hmm…”

8. TODD: “Not sure he’s too into politics these days… he seems to be hanging around some young kids, look like they’re up to no good… not really sure what to make of him.”

PANEL 3

TODD looks like he has a thought.

9. TODD: “Ah! The Observatory… you ever hear of PROFESSOR BLOUMONT?”

10. MAN: “No. Should I have?”

11. TODD: “Hmm, I only ask, cuz that old coot used to spend a lotta time harassin’ the folks up at the labs.”

12. TODD: “Old man was convinced there was some graveyard full of giants. He went in search of it, bout two years back… no one’s seen him since.”

PANEL 4

The MAN leans his head up against the window. He looks depressed, as if he’s unsure what he’d gotten himself into by visiting Landmark.

13. TODD: “Oh, don’t get too down, Mac… Landmark ain’t all bad. We’ve even got out own heroes!”

14. MAN: “… oh yeah… ?”

15. TODD: “Well, heck yeah!”

[Comics] The LandMark Primer 2008 - Page 2

2009-04-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

LANDMARK PRIMER 2008

LANDMARK COMICS

By Chris Tinkler

PAGE 2

PANEL 1

The MAN is trying to concentrate on his newspaper.

1. TODD: “You ever been to Landmark before?”

2. MAN: “No.”

3. TODD: “Boy, then you’re in for a treat! There’s lots to see in ol’ Landmark.”

PANEL 2

Reader’s POV is on the driver’s side of the vehicle. We can see TODD pointing out his passenger window, and the MAN attentively looking to see what TODD’s pointing at.

4. TODD: “Why, just over there… I recall a family livin’ there not too long ago. Nice couple, with a precious young boy.”

5. MAN: “What happened to them?”

6. TODD: “Nobody knows f’r sure… scuttlebutt round town says a monster got ’em.”

7. TODD: “They said the man of the house just couldn’t escape the monsters that haunted him when he was a kid.”

PANEL 3

The MAN raises his eyebrow incredulously.

8. MAN: “…”

9. TODD: “Hard t’believe, ain’t it?”

10. MAN: “A bit.”

11. TODD: “That’s not the half of it… you have any kids?”

12. MAN: “Two… why?”

PANEL 4

TODD is smiling as looks into the backseat.

13. TODD: “Li’l boy and li’l girl?”

14. MAN: “Yeah…”

15. TODD: “That’s great… I got all girls myself.”

16. TODD: “Anyways, You should think about takin’ the kids to the circus that pops into town from time to time.”

17. MAN: “Oh yeah?”

[Comics] The LandMark Primer 2008 - Page 1

2009-03-31T19:26:00.000-07:00

Here's one from the... I'd say archives, if this bit was a bit older. Early last year, I was approached by Mark Davis to write a "primer" chapter for LandMark Comics. A way to introduce readers to the stories and characters that inhabited the town of LandMark. He also expressed interest in introducing a taxi-cab driver type character.

I decided to intertwine the two, and use the "primer" as a townwide tour given to an outsider by the cab driver character.

As it looks as though this little bit of script isn't going to be followed up on, I figure it's safe to post it page by page here. Enjoy!

LANDMARK PRIMER 2008

LANDMARK COMICS

By Chris Tinkler

Page 1

PANEL 1

Blank panel – all black.

1. Voice FX: “TAXI!”

PANEL 2

Tall slender business man getting into a taxicab, it is raining rather heavily; the man has no umbrella and has his newspaper covering his head. The background shows that the man is leaving the airport.

PANEL 3

Head-on shot through taxi, reader is looking thru front windshield. The driver is a stocky looking middle-aged man with a military style haircut and a goatee that hangs a good inch from his chin. He has many lines on his forehead, and his eyes are drained from a long day’s work.

2. Driver: “Where ya headed to, Mac?”

3. Man: “The Observatory.”

PANEL 4

From mans POV, looking into the front seat of the cab. The front seat is in all matter of disarray, food wrappers all about. The cab driver’s ID tag hangs from the dashboard showing the name TODD PECK. There are several photos tacked on the loose fabric slacking from the rear-view mirror.

4. TODD: “The Observatory, eh? ‘Cross town, up there on the hill, huh?”

5. TODD: “What kinda business you got up there, Mac?”

6. MAN: “I can’t say…”

7. TODD: “Heh, fair’nuff.”

[Et-Cetera] Twitter?

2009-03-30T23:13:00.000-07:00

Anyone reading this use Twitter?

I've heard a bunch of good stuf about it, but I'm not totally sure that it'd be useful to me... I'm currently on a bunch of "social networking" sites, that I have no idea how to take advantage of... is Twitter more of the same?

Thanks!

(and, yes... I do appreciate the irony of a post like this)

UPDATE... decided to go ahead and give it a shot for now... the peeps are posted on the right side of the blog. Follow me, won'tcha? I won't ALWAYS be waxing Conservative... promise.

[Video Games] In Soviet Russia... Aeris kill Sephiroth

2009-03-23T20:14:00.000-07:00

Been thinking a lot lately about Final Fantasy VII (probably due to the fact that two of the "Let's Players" I follow are both LPing it)... and, whenever you think about FF7, you usually think of... that scene. Ya know, end of Disk 1... City of the Ancients... if you've played/heard of this game, you probably know what I'm talking about... if not, or if you are planning to play the game, and don't want a major plot-point spoiled (as if the above-title didn't already do that)... you should probably quit reading this entry.

Still with me? Cool.

At the end of the first disk of FF7, Sephiroth kills Aeris. Everyone talks about what a heart-wrenching scene it is... and, in retrospect, I guess I can see why. However, upon my first play-through, I didn't quite feel any of the sentiment.

Why? Because, I didn't for one second think Aeris's death was permanent. Why would I? Having just played through Chrono Trigger, where the MAIN CHARACTER is killed off for a portion of the game, I figured that this was just more-of-the-same.

I wasn't on the Internet nearly as much back then (Christmas-time 1997) as I am today, so I didn't have any of the story spoiled for me. It didn't set in that Aeris wasn't coming back until I finished the second disk... and by that time, I'd already gotten over any attachment I may have had with the character.

Wondering if there's anyone else out there who felt the same way... because, these days, you can't seem to visit a video game related message forum without hearing how touched folks were by this scene.

[Politics] Proposition whichever number (the gay marriage one)

2009-03-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

Now, I realize the Prop 8 (I think it was 8) argument is losing a bit of steam... it's not nearly as sexy (no pun intended) as it was back in November... that's why I've waited until now to make any comment. This is more of a social issue than a political one, therefore I've tried to expose myself to as much information and viewpoint about it. Everything from both sides of the aisle, to annoying know-nothing pontificating brats on YouTube with their hair combed in their face.

I've come up with the solution... they're ALL wrong.

Please read on, my solution has the potential to make EVERYONE on EITHER side of this argument happy.

Let me clarify...

I may be seen as a bit of a libertarian on this, but I feel that the government has NO RIGHT to be involved in the marriage business to begin with. That said... they have no say over the legality of ANY union.

Marriage, for those who know... is a religious Sacrament. NOT a governmental rite of passage. Still with me? Okay... now it gets sticky... if marriage (in and of the word itself) is indeed a Sacrament, we need to follow THOSE rules.

Now, the government (be it a conservative OR liberal one) has NO say in Church law. Just like the Church has no say in governmental law. Therefore, the government CANNOT tell any specific Church what they can or cannot allow (within reason of course, we're not talking sacrificing virgins to volcano gods here).

What the government CAN do... is, not redefining marriage... but abandoning it altogether. In favor of plain and simple CIVIL UNIONS.

You want to get MARRIED? Cool, go to a Church. You want the marriage recognized by the Government to take advantage of all the benefits it allows? Well, cool... go to City Hall and get a Civil Union License. See what I did there? Separated Marriage from the Civil Union.

If you're a man looking to "marry" another man, get yourself a Civil Union... just don't start carrying signs outside of a Church complaining of bigotry. You'll get the same benefits that any other married couple get... it just won't be a "Marriage".

So, to sum it all up, quick and dirty like...

1) Government gets out of the Marriage Business

2) Government adopts "Civil Union" ideology in it's place

3) Straight or Gay... you'll have the same rights under the "Civil Union" regulatory system

4) Church does it's own thing... without fear of retribution

Just one idiots opinion here... but, an idiot who believes that no matter who you're attracted to or fall in love with, you SHOULD be able to spend your lives together and take advantage of all "marriage benefits"... let's just not call it marriage.

[Et-Cetera] Sales Update, and Thanks

2009-03-13T16:16:00.000-07:00

Being a certified avoidant, I generally hesitate to check into things that may provide me with grief or worry... such things include, my mailbox, my bank account, and within the past year... my sales charts on lulu.com & amazon.com

Well, today I decided to check the ole' sales chart... and much to my surprise, my sales have actually DOUBLED in the past couple of weeks. Unfortunately, there's no way to see "who" purchased the book, however, if it's anyone reading this, I'd like to thank you. So... thank you!

[Politics] Earmarks?

2009-03-13T16:10:00.000-07:00

[Writing] Straitjacket Vacation Reviewed

2009-02-20T11:38:00.001-08:00

Just received word from TCM Reviews that Straitjacket Vacation has been reviewed and posted.

If interested, please check it out:

http://www.tcm-ca.com/reviews/2850.html

[Et-Cetera] House of Payne

2009-02-18T15:15:00.000-08:00

Nah, don't worry this isn't more complaining about the ridiculous mortgage bailout... this is actually about the television show "Tyler Perry's House of Payne".

Admittedly not a bad show... rather innocuous. Not terribly funny, though it has it's moments.

None of that's important as far as this post is concerned.

Now, I've probably seen every episode of the first two seasons. Never really thought much about the lack of white people in the show... the show is centered around a black family, nothin' wrong with that. Now, the lack of white people I was cool with. It wasn't until I realized the characterization of the very few (three if I recall correctly) white people that WERE on the show.

First, (the only one I know by name) Bart, a borderline retard who works at the fire station.

Second, a flamboyant Richard Simmons pastiche.

Third, a child molester who pretended to be a young girl online.

I hate to be "that guy", but I gotta ask... What would happen if there were a show based around a white family, that portrayed the ONLY blacks ever featured on a show in such a way? Well, we'll never know... cuz it'll never happen.

The fact that the white man is pretty much the lowest form of life to some people isn't lost on me... I'd just really like to know why.

[Politics] A pot in every chicken

2009-02-18T15:02:00.000-08:00

So, my current home state of Arizona was visited by tha Messiah today, where he discussed bailing out folks in jeopardy of losing their homes due to foreclosure.

I'd touched upon this yesterday, and mentioned the reasons why I'm against it.

There was the talk of helping folks lower their interest rates. That's cool... interest rates fluctuate all the time.

Lowering the PRINCIPAL VALUE on homes that have gone down in value (in other words, homes that you as homeowner are currently "upside down" on) is absolutely ridiculous.

What ever happened to accountability and personal responsibility?

Anyone who's bought a home knows just HOW MANY TIMES you need to sign your name before you get the keys. It's not like you wake up one morning with a kidney missing and your writing hand covered in pen-ink, and you suddenly realize you're now a home owner.

YOU SIGN YOUR NAME ON THE MORTGAGE AGREEMENT. The price of the home IS NOT HIDDEN... in fact, it's mentioned on nearly EVERY PAGE of the agreement (The contract for my old home was between 50-75 pages, I believe).

Why should the Federal Government be involved in lowering YOUR mortgage payment?

Keep suckling the teet, America. Hope y'all brought your hammers and sickles... it's gonna be a hard ride back from this one.

[Et-Cetera] But... but, I ALREADY lost my house!

2009-02-17T21:24:00.000-08:00

I really hope I've misheard this bit... but, from what I'm understanding... is that my family's tax dollars are going to be spent helping people who are having trouble paying their mortgages.

I lost my house about 6 months ago... and, as much as I hate to admit it, the wife and I were NEVER ready for home ownership. I take full responsibility for the foreclosure, and accept the fact that my credit is screwed for the next several years.

I made a bad decision. Why should YOU have to pay for my mistake? Many people (banks, especially) made bad decisions... why should WE pay for their mistakes?

Every day we're creeping closer and closer to socialism... it's a scary time to be an American. Soon enough, we're going to have the Auto-Industry nationized (already partly is), the Medical Industry nationalized, the Housing Industry nationalized, the Banking Industry (Ha!) nationalized.

Barack Obama is NOT your friend. Joe Biden is NOT your friend. Nancy Pelosi is NOT your friend. John McCain is NOT your friend. Sarah Palin is NOT your friend. George W. Bush is NOT your friend. John Kerry is NOT your friend. Al Gore is NOT your friend.

WHY HAVE WE GIVEN THESE PEOPLE THE POWER TO EXPAND GOVERNMENT'S GRASP OVER US? These are not GOOD people. They DON'T care about you or me. All they care about is making it so WE NEED THEM.

We don't.

[Et-Cetera] Worse than Childbirth?

2009-02-16T23:45:00.000-08:00

I haven't mentioned this here as of yet, as I did not want to discuss it until it was over (I have too many pointless posts here as it is). Anyhoo... this past month I had been dealing with a kidney stone.

Finally passed the li'l bugger yesterday afternoon. Didn't hurt at all coming out. The folks at the hospital had me thinking it would be like urinating out a melon. Sure, it was hard and spiky... but, honestly, in comparison to the pain I had felt when it first became dislodged... it was downright pleasant.

Two weeks ago, I spent most of my Saturday in the hospital... fearing the absolute worst... Kidney failure (or Cancer... which EVERYTHING on the web points to). This was after about a week of pretty intense pain (I actually had to pull my car over once due to the pain). Towards the end of the week, I was having trouble in the bathroom... and couldn't stay asleep due to pain.

I was finally convinced (ie. dragged) by my far better half to go to the Hospital. Being unemployed, and without ANY form of insurance, I was pretty hesitant.

Anyhoo... got my first ever I.V., my first ever C.T. Scan, and my first ever... wait for it... shot of morphine. Ooooh... I can totally tell how and why people can become addicted to the stuff. For the first time in about a decade there was NO pain in my body. The morphine alone was almost worth the $1,000 hospital bill... almost.

The kindly Urologist gave the stone a 2-3 week ETA. Wouldn'tcha know it... 2 weeks and 1 day later, it finally showed up.

The entire process was weird, and for a moron like me... almost fascinating. As the days passed by, I could almost "track" where the stone was, from where the pain was when I woke up that day. For the later half of last week, the pain was quite concentrated in the groinal area. So, I wasn't *too* surprised when it passed.

Anyway... The hospital was kind enough to equip me with ONE paper "urine strainer" (which begins to smell... very very very very bad after the FIRST time it's used) and a prescription for SIX Vicodin. Guess that's whatcha get these for $1,000.

Oh well, that's probably more about me than anyone wanted to know... but, there ya go. Heh, maybe I'll post pics of the li'l thing.

[Interview] Self Publishing Today

2009-02-06T22:32:00.000-08:00

Here's a link to a short interview I had done with Self Publishing Today.

http://selfpublishing.today.com/2009/02/07/51/

I'd like to thank Marisa Wright of Self Publishing Today for the exposure!

[Writing] First Chapter Posted

2009-02-06T15:46:00.001-08:00

Wow, that was a whole lot quicker than I thought.

For anyone interested, the first third of my first chapter is posted here:

PAGE HAS MOVED

There's a link at the bottom of their page to where the book can be purchased (if you're interested).

I'll be posting a short-cut to this page on the sidebar this weekend.

3/13/09 - EDIT: Page has moved:

http://firstchapterproject.jimdo.com/fiction/straitjacket-vacation/

[Writing] The First Chapter Project

2009-02-06T15:21:00.000-08:00

Hey all,

Just happened to stumble across a site called the "First Chapter Project", wherein writers can submit the first chapter of their novel(s) to be posted, along with information on where a prospective reader could go ahead and purchase the rest of the novel if they're so interested.

My novel, STRAITJACKET VACATION's first chapter (which weighs in at about 75 pages) is splintered into about three shorter bits. I've submitted the first splinter to the Project for posting.

I will post a link here, probably along the sidebar as well if I get approved. If not, we can quietly disregard this post.

[Politics] Church 'n State

2009-02-05T21:14:00.000-08:00

Trying to get something straight here... we have the left condemning the right for ever mentioning God or the Bible... yet, right now, we have a Leftist President who evokes Religion more than ANY other President I can remember.

Am I the only one hearing this? I can't be.

The Godless Left are the reason why we can no longer say Christmas, Hanukkah, Easter, Passover, and the rest. These are the people trying to take "In God We Trust" off of our money, and "Under God" out of our pledge... and they're standing behind this President like a bunch of brainless bobble heads... (silent during Christian/Jew talk... cheering once he mentions something Islamic.)

If W. said anything that O. is now saying, he'd have been booed off stage. He'd have been heckled by the House, and shunned by the Senate. Instead, the heads just bobble.

Every time O. takes the stage, he evokes the name of God. Where are the "Separation of Church and State" assholes? (Most of us know, that there's no such line in the Constitution... tho, that document is worth about as much as the "good" toilet paper these days). Where O' where are the Atheists? Too busy puttering around in their Prius's, headed towards the nearest Organic market?

Now... I'm NOT very Religious. I believe in God, but, that's probably about as far as I go... but, honestly people... fair's only fair. Bush would be ridden as a foolish old man, clutching onto antiquated and unproven texts... Obama, on the other hand...

I can't be the only one noticing this... can I?

[Facebook] In One Word

2009-02-01T22:08:00.000-08:00

Courtesy o' the Facebook again.

USING ONLY ONE WORD! It's not as easy as you might think! Copy and change the answers to suit you and pass it on. It's really hard to only use one word answers. Be sure to tag the person you received it from!

1. Where is your cell phone? Kitchen
2. Your significant other? Patient
3. Your hair? Long
4. Your mother? Ma
5. Your father? Ehh
6. Your favorite? What?
7. Your dream last night? Unknown.
8. Your favorite drink? Coffee
9. Your dream/goal? Happiness
10. What room you are in? Living Room
11. Your hobby? Stuff
12. Your fear? Loss
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Public office
14. Where were you last night? Bed
15. Something that you aren't? Democrat
16. Muffins? Ehh
17. Wish list item? Job
18. Where you grew up? Brooklyn
19. Last thing you did? Food Shopping
20. What are you wearing? Glasses
21. Your TV? 70's Show
22. Your pets? Pug
23. Friends? Distant
24. Your life? Procrastination
25. Your mood? Decent
26. Missing someone? Probably
27. Car? Cavalier
28. Something you're not wearing? Socks
29. Your favorite store? Bookmans
30. Your favorite color? Red
33. When is the last time you laughed? Earlier
34. Last time you cried? 2007
35. Who will resend this? Me
36. One place that I go to over and over? Carraba's
37. One person who emails me regularly? Papa
38. My favorite place to eat? Carraba's
39. Somewhere you’d like to visit? Tokyo
40. Pet peeve? Liberals

[Facebook] Tagged!

2009-02-01T22:06:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of my Facebook page that I'm still not sure how to use... here's my Tagged - 25 facts about me.

Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

(To do this, go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click post.

Looks like I been tagged by my good pal, Kevin. I'm really not sure I require all 25 facts, hehe... let's give it a shot.

1. I'm not good at keeping in touch with people. I've lost/misplaced several friends this way.

2. I have heartburn... all day, every day. I must pop at least 2 dozen Rolaids/Tums per day.

3. I sometimes avoid dealing with people who vote differently than me. That includes family.

4. I've recently misplaced my cell phone, and I keep coming up with reasons not to buy another one.

5. I've been a fan of comicbooks for over 20 years... though, in just this past year I find myself enjoying manga a whole lot more.

6. I have a MySpace... but I don't even know how to use it.

7. I enjoy anime, but hardly ever watch it.

8. I don't drink or smoke, ever.

9. I hated dogs, until I got one.

10. I spent the first 17 years of my life in New York before moving to Arizona. I don't so much like it here, but I miss New York a whole lot less than I thought I would.

11. I try to help people, even though I know they're not listening to a word I say.

12. I still haven't completely taken down my Christmas tree.

13. I never went to college... and kick myself for it every minute of every day.

14. I tell people my opinions before I'm asked.

15. I'm online most of the day... but can't stand most of the things I see/read.

16. I'm a decent cook.

17. My favorite food is Carraba's Sicilian Chicken Noodle soup.

18. Atheists bother my a ton more than Evangelists.

19. I'd like to get into Politics.

20. I can't sit still thru a movie... but can watch a marathon of TV shows.

21. I waited in line for 3 hours to get a Nintendo Wii back in 2006... and I'm not even sure I've played it 3 hours yet.

22. I wrestled professionally for several months in 1999... but quit when I found out that I'd have to travel.

23. I avoid the pretzels in bags of Chex Mix.

24. I drink several large cups of coffee a day.

25. I broke the toilet in the house I recently lost... it was an accident, with really good timing.

[Politics] The hits just keep on comin'

2009-01-24T02:48:00.000-08:00

This is a funny one... Probably the only thing Howard's done in a decade that I find mildly entertaining.

[Politics] Oba-zing

2009-01-24T01:44:00.001-08:00

[Writing] weRead... but, I can't

2009-01-21T22:18:00.000-08:00

I was sent a link to weRead.com which is a site for writers and what-not... earlier today I spent the better part of an hour putting together a page for Chris Sheehan...

Well... it appears that there ALREADY was a page for me... under ChrisTOPHER Sheehan...

Jeez... nothing too important here, just really struck by the irony of the site being called weRead, and the fact that I *couldn't read* well enough to get it right.

[Et-Cetra] A place to clear my head

2009-01-21T22:05:00.000-08:00

Just popping in to drop a link here:

http://www.conservativesforum.com/

Any Conservatives that are reading this (which isn't *too* likely... considering this is primarily a comicbook blog... err, least it was) that don't want to feel too alone, here's a nice place to hang for a bit.

Anyhoo, indulgence over.

[Writing] Second book is a-go

2009-01-21T14:14:00.000-08:00

Just a tiny update here... I'm pushing forward with my second book. It'll probably take a little while to put together.

It's going to be tentatively titled "HISTORY ENVY - The Search for the Modern Day Boogeyman", I may drop the "Boogeyman" part... not sure yet.

Considering the bit of... history... we're currently living thru, I may postpone completion of the book as to keep it relevant in the coming months/years.

Anyhoo, that's about it for now.

[Politics] Melting Pot to the Chamber Pot

2009-01-19T19:22:00.000-08:00

This bit of news is outrageous. I *live* in Arizona, and the story's been so well buried that I've only first heard about it now.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/aug/06/soldiers-cross-into-us-hold-guns-to-agent/

Forty years ago this would be FRONT PAGE NEWS, ANYWHERE. Now, it's hardly a blurb even in Arizona's own press! Are we this damn spineless? Are we really this damn complacent, and scared to call a spade a spade without fear of being called a xenophobe or a racist?

Enough is enough.

[Sports] One Game Away

2009-01-19T16:26:00.000-08:00

Go Cards!

Holy Cow. I'd have never thought this would happen.

I wish it would've happened a few years ago before we had to buy them a multi-billion dollar stadium... but, what can ya do?

Phoenix is awash in Red... 'bout time we came together for SOMEthing.

Still a Jets fan, but I'll definitely be pulling for the Cardinals in two weeks.

[Et-Cetera] Happy Holiday

2009-01-19T16:12:00.000-08:00

I wouldn't mind saying Happy Martin Luther King Day or Happy Civil Rights Day, though I'm sure it would insult a progressive or two... so, I figure I'll just say "Happy Holiday".

It's a sad thing too, as Dr. King is a man who I rather admire. A man, that seems so far out of the norm these days. Someone who believed so much in something, and to actually have an honorable way of demonstrating it. These days we find fake-ass "Reverends" spouting hate speech to anyone not their color...

Dr. King, as far as I can tell... I've obviously never met the man... and I hate putting words in dead people's mouths (don't get me started on the "Reagan would've voted for Obama" bullshit)... believed in Human EQUALITY... not any certain racial or sexual SUPERIORITY. These days... advertising illustrates it the best, you cannot show a minority or a woman as a fool.

The fool in this day and age is the white man. Something, I think Dr. King wouldn't agree with.

It's only going to get worse. Just wait until President Obama makes a mistake... there'll be a hush so thick you can actually hear it.

Saturday Night Live won't be able to opine if he mispeaks for fear of being called racist. Hopefully that garbage show will just wind up cancelled as a result of not being able to keep "relevent".

I'd like to think Dr. King would be against the latest rash of "Stupid white guy" "humor" we've been stuck with.

Check out the latest garbage to come out of the "National Corn Growers", the High-Fructose Corn Syrup ads to see this illustrated to a T.

Anyhoo... Happy Holiday everyone... Long Live the Dream.

[Et-Cetera] Patrick McGoohan

2009-01-16T01:39:00.000-08:00

Funny thing, I didn't much enjoy watching "The Prisoner", but was completely entertained listening to Mr. McGoohan discuss the finer points of "The Prisoner".

RIP

[Et-Cetera] Just like ME!

2009-01-16T01:19:00.000-08:00

You can't go to a comicbook or videogame forum these days without having it beaten over your head how much the President-Elect is JUST LIKE ME.

Did you know Obama... likes Spider-Man? Holy cow, he's JUST LIKE ME... and, well... millions of other Americans... probably present administration included...

Did you know Obama... owns a Nintendo Wii? He's JUST LIKE ME... and, umm... well, the Wii is the highest selling console of this generation... so, I figure, he's just like me, and several million other Americans. I bet he didn't have to wake up at 3am on a Sunday morning and camp out in front of a Target to get one though...

The liberals these days are trying to hammer home the point that they're the "intouch" party... they're JUST LIKE US! Normal Americans. Normal folks, who just want the world to be a bit greener... and, hell... maybe a twinge higher taxes... maybe expand government a teensy tiny bit... Let's face it folks... we live in a day and age where WE NEED czars for EVERYTHING.

Anyway, to my point. Are you aware that Washington DC is currently under a state of emergency? Incoming prez requested of sitting prez to declare an S.O.E. to get some fundage from FEMA to help pay for... uhh, the Inauguration/Inaugural balls? Um, what?

The bill looks to be upwards of $110 MILLION. Yep... Mr. Obama, you my friend, are JUST LIKE ME. Gotta love having the down-to-earth party in total control of the country.

[Et-Cetera] Smile

2009-01-08T15:46:00.000-08:00

I don't know about any of you, but here in Arizona, along our expressways we're inundated with "Photo Radar Enforcement" cameras every mile/mile and a half (usually accompanied by unmanned "photo radar enforcement" vans peppered in between).

Now, oddly enough, the cameras in and of themselves are NOT what I'm going to be complaining about today... it's the terrifying realization, that with every passing day, we, as a people are becoming more and more accustomed to having cameras watching our every move.

These cameras, along with the "Red Light Enforcement" ones, placed at most major intersections... not only in Phoenix proper, but even in my suburban neighborhood. If I want to go grocery shopping, I have to drive past a camera... hell, if I want to get gas and a cup of coffee... I go past one too.

When did we as a society become so complacent? Our (soon-to-be-former, thankfully) governess, Janet, PUSHED these cameras through the legislature (as she's done with everything that would be voted down by freedom-embracing-citizens), all the while condemning the Bush administration's Patriot Act as an assault against our freedom.

Why, as Americans are we suddenly okay with this? Did I miss a meeting? More importantly... what can we do to fix it?

[Writing] Possible new venture

2009-01-07T16:52:00.000-08:00

Hey it's 2009. How 'bout that?

The last week of the year is always a bit hectic, what with Christmas and New Year's with my birthday somewhere between. Just turned 29, and will be trying to make the most out of what's left of my twenties.

Ran across a web-site I hadn't seen before that's currently looking for columnists.

The site is http://www.selfpublishingreview.com and hopefully by the end of the week I'll have some writing posted up there. I figure since I've been in the self-publishing game for a good few years now, I may be able to provide at least a little bit of insight... especially in the self-published comicbook world, something that the site hasn't yet pursued.

Now, besides the ability to get a bit more of my writing out there and seen, I feel this could be pretty decent publicity for STRAITJACKET VACATION. I've recently received a few good reviews for the book via email, so I'm getting the itch to start spreading the word.

I'm also going to be sending out a few copies for "official" review within the next couple of weeks... so, hopefully the wheels will start moving.

Anyhoo, that's it for now.

[Comics] Just when I thought I was out...

2008-12-15T23:44:00.000-08:00

Had a whole bunch of stuff I was going to write about tonight... Proposition 8 (or an idiot's (my) handy-dandy guide to making it work), the Socialization of the USA (God bless the U.S.S.A.), and a little bit on something I call "History Envy", which I may expand into book form if I can get off my ass long enough to do all the research I'll be needing to do... but those'll have to wait a bit, as I'm not in too much of a pontificating mood... and frankly the sound of my own voice of late rather sickens me.

Instead, I'll write a bit about my unexpected return to comics writing. I've taken a gig doing the scripting chores on a project called "The Maniacal Manster" which will feature art from a wonderfully talented artist named Tommy Grover (I'll link to his forum in the very near future, I don't have the URL handy at the moment). I'm currently scripting off an existing plot, planning for about an eight-page story with a cliffhanger ending.

I've got a bit of concept art on the character from Tommy, which I'll also post within the next couple of days.

Anyways... I think that's all I've got for the moment.

[Writing] Straitjacket Vacation hits Amazon

2008-12-14T22:24:00.000-08:00

Wow, just noticed that my book's up on Amazon.com, check it out.

http://www.amazon.com/Straitjacket-Vacation-Christopher-Sheehan/dp/0557004551/ref=sr_11_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1229322251&sr=11-1

AND, Barnes & Noble...

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?r=1&ean=0557004551

Nothing on Borders or Booksamillion... yet.

Pretty cool nonetheless, eh?

[Et-Cetera] Sociological Science

2008-12-02T22:20:00.000-08:00

About a year ago, one of my best pals bought me Glenn Beck's "An Inconvenient Book" for my birthday, which as this hellacious year winds down, I'm finally getting around to reading.

It's a fantastic and witty book, by a Conservative thinker, for whom I'm gaining great respect for, definitely recommended, if you're into that kind of thing (that "thing" being Conservative values, as well as a deep loathing for Political Correctness and large government).

Anyhoo...

I had a bit of time between errands today, and decided to pop into one of the local used bookstores to see if I could find Glenn's first book "The Real America". After hobbling my way through the marijuana scented store all the way to the "Political Science" section, I realize I cannot find my book. Okay, I figure... they must not have an copies. While I'm here, I may as well see if they have the Michael Savage book that I'm missing. Nope, no Savage books either. Am I in the right section? Hmm, Hannity's books aren't here either. Ditto for Rush. That's odd.

Finally, I think I've found a Limbaugh book... Nope, that's Al Franken's "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot"... well, I must be in the right section, guess all the Conservative books are sold out, or just not in high demand here. I decide to ask the first zombie that staggers by, and I'm directed across the store to the Sociology section. When I asked why these books weren't anywhere near the Poli-Sci section, I was told that they "Didn't belong there".

Rather than get angry (which is something I am most of the time I'm in public), I just shrugged and headed over to the manga section to see if I could find the next Monster Volume.

Not a big deal, by any means... just have to wonder how these bookstores can see Al Franken and Michael Moore as politically relevant, but not any of my guys.